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 $1,119 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,699 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,280 in Medias.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Medias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Medias 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$12.44 RON 54.3

-62.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$50.9 RON 222

-7.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.96 RON 34.71

11.06%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.57 RON 15.55

-15.97%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.98 RON 8.62

-62.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.09 RON 9.11

-82.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.19 RON 13.90

-23.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.47 RON 15.11

4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.35 RON 5.87

67.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.30 RON 5.65

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.83 RON 7.96

22.40%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.35 RON 14.60

-30.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.54 RON 37.23

130.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.07 RON 30.81

-48.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.89 RON 51.8

10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.19 RON 5.20

184.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.65 RON 7.21

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.55 RON 6.78

55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.39 RON 10.42

-15.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.00 RON 4.35

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.04 RON 4.52

44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.89 RON 3.86

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.82 RON 3.60

-40.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.76 RON 25.13

-22.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.07 RON 30.82

167.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.11 RON 4.82

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.70 RON 7.42

61.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 RON 2.93

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$19.64 RON 85.6

-41.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.76 RON 3.30

310.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.81 RON 3.51

23.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.05 RON 30.74

99.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.49 RON 6.49

-9.40%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.5K RON 124.4K

-4.74%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.5K RON 119.9K

19.72%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$166 RON 726

-24.93%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.98 RON 34.78

70.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.95 RON 39.03

106.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$41.75 RON 182

47.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$19.21 RON 83.7

-12.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.04 RON 30.69

30.54%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$440 RON 1,921

58.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,542 RON 28.5K

138.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$67.6 RON 295

-14.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$42.69 RON 186

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$96.4 RON 420

17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$99.4 RON 433

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$383 RON 1,670

60.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$292 RON 1,275

52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$585 RON 2,550

250.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$446 RON 1,943

234.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,733 RON 7,554

118.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,318 RON 5,746

100.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.7

-30.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medias: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $383 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Medias. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $219, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,678 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: $616 in Phuket versus $383 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $440 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,119 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.