Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Leova Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Leova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,161 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,992 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,823 in Leova.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Leova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Leova 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.90 MDL 188

-57.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$35.31 MDL 609

32.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.76 MDL 168

-9.43%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.86 MDL 14.76

248.84%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.52 MDL 8.94

42.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.42 MDL 7.29

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.70 MDL 46.62

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.80 MDL 48.25

28.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.79 MDL 30.83

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.60 MDL 10.37

206.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.37 MDL 23.64

63.50%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.42 MDL 24.55

63.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.90 MDL 257

32.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.37 MDL 40.95

54.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$4.10 MDL 70.7

219.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.41 MDL 24.29

140.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.87 MDL 14.96

88.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.98 MDL 16.90

145.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.14 MDL 19.70

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.59 MDL 27.47

-1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.59 MDL 10.25

154.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.48 MDL 8.30

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.02 MDL 17.66

-51.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.66 MDL 80.4

-4.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$15.31 MDL 264

23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 MDL 19.83

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.73 MDL 47.15

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.42 MDL 7.31

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$29.05 MDL 501

-60.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.94 MDL 50.7

6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.56 MDL 9.70

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.41 MDL 58.8

313.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.42 MDL 24.45

-4.93%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$35.5K MDL 612.5K

-23.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.6K MDL 631.8K

-10.12%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$198 MDL 3,416

-36.88%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.76 MDL 99.4

135.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$21.25 MDL 367

-12.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.52 MDL 613

73.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.59 MDL 200

45.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.64 MDL 80.1

98.06%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$86.3 MDL 1,489

-33.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$59.1 MDL 1,019

-40.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$99.1 MDL 1,710

14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$116 MDL 2,004

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$860 MDL 14.8K

-28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$366 MDL 6,320

21.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,572 MDL 27.1K

30.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,148 MDL 19.8K

29.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,504 MDL 43.2K

50.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,008 MDL 34.6K

31.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$662 MDL 11.4K

-20.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.19

-25.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Leova: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $860 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $188 per month, with Leova 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

Phuket vs Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leova is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Leova earns 26% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $860 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,161 in Leova – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,161 in Leova versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Leova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Leova 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 Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.