Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,983 in Montpellier versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,927 in Montpellier versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,871 in Montpellier versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Montpellier is roughly 59% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montpellier is 48% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €15.11

$4.55 ฿153

280.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €51.2

$46.18 ฿1,550

26.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 €11.42

$8.84 ฿297

47.85%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.21

$3.06 ฿103

19.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.35

$0.73 ฿24.36

268.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.66

$0.40 ฿13.37

372.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.18

$2.43 ฿81.6

144.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.94

$3.78 ฿127

19.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$2.26 ฿75.8

-37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 €2.74

$1.81 ฿60.8

73.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$2.25 ฿75.7

16.44%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.70

$2.25 ฿75.4

88.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.28

$19.51 ฿655

-4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 €13.31

$3.65 ฿122

317.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.87 €22.60

$13.05 ฿438

98.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.80

$3.23 ฿109

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.62 ฿54.3

38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$2.38 ฿80.0

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.36

$2.03 ฿68.0

89.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.53 ฿51.5

54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.50 ฿50.4

76.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.98 ฿32.85

61.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.52 ฿17.36

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.17

$4.44 ฿149

213.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.16

$18.32 ฿615

-55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.66

$1.86 ฿62.6

63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.68 ฿90.0

47.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.41 ฿47.37

27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.70 €15.47

$11.70 ฿393

51.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.68

$3.11 ฿104

72.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.04 ฿35.00

52.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 €29.26

$14.11 ฿474

137.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.31 ฿44.02

54.20%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.4K €32.6K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

34.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.5K €33.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

15.90%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €165

$122 ฿4,110

54.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.13 €24.57

$13.59 ฿456

106.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.31 €29.98

$18.70 ฿628

83.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 €33.46

$60.5 ฿2,031

-36.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.98 €25.32

$16.98 ฿570

70.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 €11.96

$9.07 ฿305

50.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$779 €681

$706 ฿23.7K

10.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,217 €7,180

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-48.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.0

$58.6 ฿1,965

73.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 €38.77

$35.36 ฿1,187

25.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.2

$115 ฿3,876

-7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 €160

$83.7 ฿2,811

118.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 €743

$626 ฿21.0K

35.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €669

$445 ฿14.9K

71.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,209

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-32.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €967

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,115 €4,469

$3,483 ฿116.9K

46.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,430

$2,577 ฿86.5K

52.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,699 €2,358

$500 ฿16.8K

440.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

5.33

-31.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Montpellier: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $850 in Montpellier and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montpellier pays 440% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Montpellier vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Montpellier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 440% higher in Montpellier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $850 in Montpellier versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Montpellier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $59.0 in Montpellier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,983 in Montpellier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Montpellier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montpellier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montpellier and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Montpellier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.