Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mercedes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mercedes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,263 in Mercedes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,924 in Mercedes, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $2,585 in Mercedes, rent included.

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Mercedes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Mercedes are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Mercedes 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.80 UYU 595

-70.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,075

$61.2 UYU 2,459

-47.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$13.59 UYU 546

-34.29%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.5

$2.49 UYU 100

16.47%

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

$0.88 ฿29.33

$2.73 UYU 110

-67.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.03

$0.91 UYU 36.63

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.43 UYU 97.5

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.80 UYU 153

-2.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.2

$1.36 UYU 54.7

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.86

$2.88 UYU 116

-48.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.46 UYU 58.8

6.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.75 UYU 110

-23.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿653

$13.91 UYU 559

40.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.47 UYU 461

-70.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.40 UYU 297

53.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.4

$2.02 UYU 81.1

47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.51 UYU 101

-33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.14 UYU 45.90

93.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$3.04 UYU 122

-28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.08 UYU 83.5

-26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.59

$2.17 UYU 87.2

-38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.60

$1.40 UYU 56.4

-19.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$1.65 UYU 66.4

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.00 UYU 201

-14.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿636

$8.63 UYU 346

121.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$2.28 UYU 91.8

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.7

$2.86 UYU 115

-2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿758

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.91 UYU 76.7

58.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.09

$0.43 UYU 17.41

137.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.33 UYU 415

-62.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$2.17 UYU 87.3

-31.34%

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

$26.6K ฿885.7K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-0.73%

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

$27.0K ฿900.6K

$37.8K UYU 1.5M

-28.45%

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

$102 ฿3,414

$192 UYU 7,695

-46.51%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$18.83 UYU 756

-39.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿580

$43.59 UYU 1,751

-60.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,735

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$11.99 UYU 482

-35.86%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$611 UYU 24.5K

-8.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.4K

$10.8K UYU 432.8K

6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,100

$101 UYU 4,039

-37.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿984

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-48.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,266

$124 UYU 4,985

-21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,949

$134 UYU 5,377

-33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$578 UYU 23.2K

27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$294 UYU 11.8K

64.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.2K

$614 UYU 24.7K

242.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$443 UYU 17.8K

176.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.5K

$3,045 UYU 122.3K

18.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$2,000 UYU 80.3K

30.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.6

-0.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $578 in Mercedes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $61.0 in Mercedes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $296 – making Phuket 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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mercedes costs about 3% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,894 in Mercedes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $61.0 in Mercedes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Mercedes, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Mercedes at $1,263. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mercedes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $1,263 in Mercedes. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mercedes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.