Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Leon, Nicaragua

Name: Leon
Address: Leon, NI

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $820 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Leon
Learn more

Leon Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Leon

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Leon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Leon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $820 in Leon, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Leon $820

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,424 in Leon, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Leon $1,424

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,028 in Leon, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Leon $2,028

Phuket costs about 56% more than Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Leon are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Leon 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.05 NIO 368

-55.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$34.62 NIO 1,268

-6.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.84 NIO 287

12.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.65 NIO 96.9

6.79%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.84 NIO 30.82

3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.73 NIO 26.71

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.53 NIO 56.0

67.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.31 NIO 84.5

59.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.23 NIO 45.00

34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.43 NIO 89.1

-39.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.80 NIO 66.1

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.42 NIO 88.8

-13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$11.40 NIO 418

67.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.16 NIO 226

-46.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.59 NIO 278

43.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.06 NIO 149

-27.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.63 NIO 23.02

168.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.79 NIO 65.5

25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.51 NIO 92.0

-17.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.97 NIO 145

-61.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.16 NIO 79.0

-36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.10 NIO 40.16

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.02 NIO 37.20

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.66 NIO 97.4

57.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.59 NIO 534

28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.46 NIO 53.6

24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.19 NIO 80.0

29.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.60 NIO 58.5

88.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.62 NIO 59.3

-37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.90 NIO 253

-46.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.33 NIO 48.59

10.53%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$23.2K NIO 850.0K

15.37%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$26.2K NIO 961.3K

1.68%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$150 NIO 5,510

-35.95%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.89 NIO 728

-43.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$31.82 NIO 1,165

-47.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.17 NIO 336

-18.21%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$239 NIO 8,768

98.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$6,071 NIO 222.4K

85.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$61.0 NIO 2,232

2.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$64.8 NIO 2,372

-56.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$125 NIO 4,570

-24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$144 NIO 5,263

-40.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$407 NIO 14.9K

76.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$282 NIO 10.3K

406.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.92

-53.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Leon

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Leon

$259 31.5% 2.8% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Leon

$202 24.6% 62.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Leon

$177 21.6% 45.5% $56

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Leon

$154 18.8% 26.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Leon

$18 * 2.2% 77.7% $64

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Leon

$9.7 * 1.2% 86.3% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $407 in Leon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $35 in Leon. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $259 in Leon – so Leon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇮 Leon

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

15:19 3:19 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

207,533

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 40.77 NIO (100 NIO = 2.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Leon 17,680 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Leon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,231 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $820 in Leon. That makes Leon about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $239 in Leon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $820, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Leon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.