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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,155 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,969 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,783 in Leova.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Leova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Leova 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.59 MDL 183

-56.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$34.66 MDL 599

34.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.53 MDL 165

-11.12%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.87 MDL 15.01

248.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.51 MDL 8.76

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.42 MDL 7.28

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.61 MDL 45.09

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.83 MDL 48.95

29.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.79 MDL 30.99

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.60 MDL 10.36

216.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.42 MDL 24.49

54.93%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.37 MDL 23.58

62.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$14.33 MDL 247

39.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.41 MDL 41.57

51.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$4.08 MDL 70.5

224.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.35 MDL 23.32

139.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.90 MDL 15.53

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.95 MDL 16.45

151.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.19 MDL 20.52

74.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.61 MDL 27.79

-1.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.59 MDL 10.21

150.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.46 MDL 7.87

123.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.07 MDL 18.40

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.80 MDL 82.8

-11.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$15.72 MDL 271

19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.16 MDL 20.01

51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.78 MDL 48.01

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.39 MDL 6.78

248.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$29.96 MDL 517

-62.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.87 MDL 49.50

9.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.51 MDL 8.87

103.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.41 MDL 58.9

303.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.49 MDL 25.67

-10.07%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$34.4K MDL 594.8K

-19.64%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$35.6K MDL 614.7K

-4.87%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$195 MDL 3,363

-36.54%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.81 MDL 100

132.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$21.97 MDL 379

-14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$35.40 MDL 611

74.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.48 MDL 198

50.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.70 MDL 81.2

94.47%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$88.3 MDL 1,525

-32.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$58.4 MDL 1,008

-39.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$99.8 MDL 1,724

15.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$118 MDL 2,034

-28.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$864 MDL 14.9K

-28.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$373 MDL 6,449

15.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,548 MDL 26.7K

33.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,160 MDL 20.0K

30.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,523 MDL 43.6K

44.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,978 MDL 34.2K

32.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$663 MDL 11.4K

-23.50%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Leova: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $864 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 31% 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 $293 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Leova earns 31% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $864 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 $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,155 in Leova – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Leova versus $1,261 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.