Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medias Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medias

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,174 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,802 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,429 in Medias.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Medias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Medias 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.36 RON 56.6

-64.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$55.0 RON 252

-41.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.95 RON 36.43

12.33%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.80 RON 17.40

-23.68%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$2.57 RON 11.77

-65.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$2.36 RON 10.80

-79.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$3.26 RON 14.92

-27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.61 RON 16.52

3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.31 RON 5.99

42.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.52 RON 6.98

-3.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.79 RON 8.20

-13.41%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$3.60 RON 16.50

-41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$9.20 RON 42.14

112.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.38 RON 33.83

-53.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$13.33 RON 61.1

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.56 RON 7.15

91.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.58 RON 7.22

6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.67 RON 7.64

32.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.85 RON 13.04

-24.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.81 RON 3.72

87.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.89 RON 4.08

50.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.94 RON 4.29

20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.85 RON 3.91

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.59 RON 30.18

-35.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.68 RON 35.18

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.27 RON 5.82

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.00 RON 9.14

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.75 RON 3.45

197.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$22.39 RON 103

1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.67 RON 3.08

352.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.71 RON 3.24

43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.95 RON 31.83

-44.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.43 RON 6.55

4.20%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$29.8K RON 136.3K

-10.69%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$27.0K RON 123.7K

0.12%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$189 RON 865

-45.71%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$8.31 RON 38.05

36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$9.69 RON 44.37

79.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$39.39 RON 180

32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$21.47 RON 98.3

-48.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.77 RON 31.00

13.59%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$464 RON 2,126

20.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,274 RON 33.3K

58.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$53.6 RON 246

17.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$36.85 RON 169

-19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$78.0 RON 357

25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$95.1 RON 436

-6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$397 RON 1,817

86.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$295 RON 1,352

63.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$638 RON 2,921

230.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$471 RON 2,158

160.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,908 RON 8,741

89.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,377 RON 6,309

89.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medias: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $397 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Medias. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $236, with Medias cheaper for home cooking.

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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,762 in Medias to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $397 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $464 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Medias versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.