Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medea

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $473 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $811 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,150 in Medea, rent included.

Phuket costs about 160% more than Medea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Medea are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Medea 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.95 DZD 260

126.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$29.14 DZD 3,886

10.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.90 DZD 520

128.97%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$0.35 DZD 46.06

728.57%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.45 DZD 60.2

95.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.21 DZD 28.09

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.32 DZD 310

1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.33 DZD 311

59.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$0.87 DZD 116

114.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.07 DZD 9.91

2000.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.19 DZD 159

30.25%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.38 DZD 184

52.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$8.30 DZD 1,107

136.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.11 DZD 549

-16.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$15.00 DZD 2,000

-24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.19 DZD 291

36.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.83 DZD 377

-40.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.15 DZD 154

92.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$0.57 DZD 76.0

278.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.60 DZD 79.7

153.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.51 DZD 68.4

162.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.82 DZD 110

37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.26 DZD 34.51

111.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.15 DZD 287

98.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.80 DZD 907

180.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.31 DZD 174

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.98 DZD 265

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.18 DZD 24.12

1138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$6.48 DZD 865

250.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.61 DZD 81.0

396.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.45 DZD 60.0

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$5.89 DZD 785

-33.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.37 DZD 48.78

302.70%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$19.9K DZD 2.7M

33.38%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$36.1K DZD 4.8M

-25.18%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$18.96 DZD 2,528

440.45%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$7.79 DZD 1,039

45.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$12.61 DZD 1,681

37.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$20.68 DZD 2,758

151.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$1.99 DZD 265

456.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.57 DZD 476

115.41%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$40.39 DZD 5,386

1288.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$6,587 DZD 878.5K

74.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$19.61 DZD 2,616

221.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$31.60 DZD 4,214

-6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$32.46 DZD 4,329

202.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$57.1 DZD 7,612

55.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$159 DZD 21.2K

365.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$108 DZD 14.4K

346.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$286 DZD 38.2K

636.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$205 DZD 27.4K

497.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,282 DZD 171.0K

182.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$406 DZD 54.1K

541.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$321 DZD 42.8K

53.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medea: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $159 in Medea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $29.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $179 – making Medea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Medea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 160%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $709 in Medea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $29.00 in Medea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $473 in Medea. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medea, where all-in costs run around $473, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Medea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medea. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.