Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Leon Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Leon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,535 in Leon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,175 in Leon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,815 in Leon.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Leon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Leon is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$17.41 €15.18

-74.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$43.34 €37.78

-25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.10 €7.93

-1.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.97 €2.59

-2.36%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.61 €2.27

-66.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.38 €1.21

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.85 €2.48

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.45 €3.01

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.08 €0.94

73.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.37 €1.20

7.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.32 €1.15

17.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.65 €3.18

-42.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.35 €9.02

89.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.56 €5.71

-47.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$15.98 €13.93

-28.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.35 €2.05

26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.26 €1.97

-25.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.53 €2.21

-12.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.40 €2.09

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.83 €1.59

-16.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.98 €1.73

-32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.13 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.83 €0.72

-33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.97 €5.20

-28.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.07 €4.42

276.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.63 €1.42

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.85 €1.62

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.42 €1.24

57.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$35.32 €30.79

-35.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.35 €2.05

28.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.30 €1.13

-21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$36.64 €31.94

-89.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.75 €1.53

-14.86%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.8K €33.0K

-29.76%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.4K €28.2K

-16.57%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$176 €153

-41.72%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$17.37 €15.14

-34.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$30.65 €26.72

-43.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$34.79 €30.33

49.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.37 €5.55

73.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.27 €8.08

-17.04%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$214 €187

161.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$98.7 €86.0

-36.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$16.12 €14.05

83.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$87.1 €75.9

12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$56.6 €49.35

56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$877 €764

-15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$606 €528

-20.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$957 €835

120.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$759 €662

61.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,050 €1,787

76.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,594 €1,390

63.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,800 €1,569

-72.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.6

54.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Leon: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $877 in Leon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leon pays 265% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Leon. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $249, with Leon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Phuket vs Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Leon differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,535 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 265% lower in Leon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $877 in Leon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $43.00 in Leon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,535 in Leon – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,535 in Leon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Leon. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Leon 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 25% less than in Leon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.