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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $526 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $841 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,156 in Medea, rent included.

Phuket costs about 140% more than Medea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Medea are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Medea 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.02 DZD 267

125.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$24.08 DZD 3,192

93.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.05 DZD 537

109.14%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.35 DZD 46.13

765.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.45 DZD 59.8

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.20 DZD 26.07

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.00 DZD 266

24.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.43 DZD 322

50.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.00 DZD 133

118.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.07 DZD 9.70

2614.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.17 DZD 156

88.03%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.47 DZD 194

51.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.76 DZD 1,161

128.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.06 DZD 670

-27.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$16.77 DZD 2,222

-20.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.21 DZD 426

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.87 DZD 380

-40.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.77 DZD 235

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.61 DZD 81.2

240.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.64 DZD 84.5

148.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.49 DZD 65.2

202.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.73 DZD 96.3

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.28 DZD 36.73

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.13 DZD 282

99.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.90 DZD 914

172.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.34 DZD 177

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.18 DZD 289

26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.25 DZD 33.40

444.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$17.49 DZD 2,318

-35.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.70 DZD 93.1

348.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.37 DZD 48.48

181.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.61 DZD 744

145.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.33 DZD 44.16

306.06%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.0K DZD 2.7M

38.29%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.2K DZD 4.5M

-0.96%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$18.80 DZD 2,492

557.39%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.22 DZD 1,089

64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$17.67 DZD 2,343

5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$23.44 DZD 3,107

163.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$2.02 DZD 268

753.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.57 DZD 473

156.02%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$39.71 DZD 5,264

1669.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,648 DZD 483.5K

335.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$20.42 DZD 2,707

191.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$31.56 DZD 4,183

11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$31.47 DZD 4,171

266.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$55.8 DZD 7,396

50.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$195 DZD 25.8K

217.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$117 DZD 15.5K

269.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$271 DZD 35.9K

661.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$183 DZD 24.2K

727.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,115 DZD 147.8K

227.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,135 DZD 150.4K

131.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$332 DZD 44.0K

52.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medea: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $195 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 53% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $201 – 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 140%, 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 $1,892 per month in Phuket and $788 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $24.00 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 $1,261 in Phuket and $526 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 $526, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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.