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 $513 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $839 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,165 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 8% lower, Medea 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.06 DZD 272

124.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$24.00 DZD 3,180

95.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.98 DZD 527

122.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.35 DZD 45.74

757.14%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.46 DZD 60.7

60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.21 DZD 28.14

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.90 DZD 252

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.40 DZD 318

50.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.05 DZD 139

115.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.07 DZD 9.06

2528.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.13 DZD 149

98.23%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.53 DZD 202

51.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.97 DZD 1,189

119.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.88 DZD 646

-25.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$16.27 DZD 2,156

-19.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.23 DZD 428

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.71 DZD 359

-39.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.78 DZD 236

35.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.56 DZD 74.7

262.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.64 DZD 84.8

143.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.49 DZD 64.9

206.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.68 DZD 90.7

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.30 DZD 40.26

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.17 DZD 287

105.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.11 DZD 942

165.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.29 DZD 171

37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.11 DZD 279

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.25 DZD 33.24

460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$17.54 DZD 2,324

-34.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.66 DZD 87.7

372.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.33 DZD 44.07

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.48 DZD 726

157.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.37 DZD 48.64

264.86%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.2K DZD 2.7M

34.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.7K DZD 4.5M

-2.44%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$18.72 DZD 2,481

567.63%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.87 DZD 1,043

72.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$17.97 DZD 2,381

3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$23.42 DZD 3,103

162.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$1.98 DZD 262

750.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.56 DZD 472

158.15%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$39.87 DZD 5,283

1651.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,649 DZD 483.5K

327.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$19.83 DZD 2,628

191.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$32.65 DZD 4,326

7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$32.64 DZD 4,324

246.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$56.7 DZD 7,506

52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$196 DZD 26.0K

214.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$114 DZD 15.1K

290.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$276 DZD 36.6K

641.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$182 DZD 24.1K

720.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$760 DZD 100.7K

397.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$408 DZD 54.0K

549.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$326 DZD 43.2K

60.80%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medea: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $196 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 61% 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: $292 vs $198 – 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $770 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $513 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 $513, 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.