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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $520 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $839 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,159 in Medea, rent included.

Phuket costs about 143% more than Medea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Medea are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Medea 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.02 DZD 267

121.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$23.27 DZD 3,077

95.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.05 DZD 536

116.30%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$0.37 DZD 49.52

702.70%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.43 DZD 56.3

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.22 DZD 28.87

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.98 DZD 261

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.42 DZD 320

54.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.99 DZD 131

117.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.09 DZD 11.97

1922.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.14 DZD 151

91.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.48 DZD 195

52.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.07 DZD 1,199

120.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.08 DZD 672

-28.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$16.72 DZD 2,211

-18.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.18 DZD 421

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.71 DZD 358

-39.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.71 DZD 226

36.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.57 DZD 75.0

263.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.60 DZD 80.0

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.47 DZD 61.5

210.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.73 DZD 96.9

34.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.30 DZD 39.76

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.14 DZD 283

103.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.99 DZD 925

165.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.31 DZD 173

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.06 DZD 272

28.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.25 DZD 33.06

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$17.62 DZD 2,330

-34.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.65 DZD 86.5

387.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.34 DZD 44.56

202.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.61 DZD 741

147.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.37 DZD 48.47

262.16%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.3K DZD 2.7M

36.68%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.6K DZD 4.4M

-0.70%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$19.08 DZD 2,522

544.92%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$7.99 DZD 1,056

72.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$17.87 DZD 2,362

2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$23.03 DZD 3,044

163.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$2.04 DZD 270

741.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.46 DZD 457

156.36%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$40.25 DZD 5,321

1608.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,612 DZD 477.6K

336.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$20.00 DZD 2,644

196.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$31.60 DZD 4,178

9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$31.90 DZD 4,218

261.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$55.7 DZD 7,370

50.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$197 DZD 26.0K

215.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$115 DZD 15.2K

287.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$279 DZD 36.9K

629.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$184 DZD 24.4K

711.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,117 DZD 147.7K

209.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,139 DZD 150.6K

122.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$328 DZD 43.4K

50.39%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medea: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $197 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 50% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $23.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $200 – 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 143%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $779 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 $46.00 in Phuket and $23.00 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $520 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 $520, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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.