Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mestre

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,784 in Mestre, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Mestre, Italy
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Mestre
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,784
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mestre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Mestre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,784 in Mestre, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Mestre $1,784

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,808 in Mestre, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Mestre $2,808

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,832 in Mestre, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Mestre $3,832

Phuket is about 28% cheaper than Mestre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Mestre is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.15 €11.79
-66.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$91.0 €81.6
-64.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$12.44 €11.15
-29.18%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$2.04 €1.83
38.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$2.95 €2.65
-70.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$1.46 €1.31
-66.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$6.62 €5.93
-61.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.40 €4.84
-31.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.72 €1.54
-3.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$2.51 €2.25
-41.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$3.22 €2.88
-53.42%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$3.76 €3.37
-44.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$17.48 €15.66
9.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$12.60 €11.29
-73.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$21.49 €19.26
-49.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$3.06 €2.74
-4.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.92 €1.72
-11.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$3.41 €3.05
-34.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$3.13 €2.80
-33.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.99 €1.79
-24.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$2.28 €2.04
-39.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.65 €1.48
-35.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$0.61 €0.55
-14.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.90 €6.19
-39.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$6.88 €6.17
173.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.54 €1.38
18.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$1.72 €1.54
65.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.70 €1.52
-14.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$40.79 €36.55
38.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.73 €4.24
-36.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$1.40 €1.26
-27.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$30.66 €27.48
-87.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$2.02 €1.81
-27.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$35.4K €31.7K
-24.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$36.9K €33.1K
-27.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$205 €184
-53.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$8.66 €7.76
30.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$29.29 €26.24
-42.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$48.25 €43.23
39.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$20.01 €17.93
-46.38%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$11.13 €9.97
-32.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$682 €611
-30.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$11.1K €9,974
1.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$78.8 €70.7
-20.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$34.06 €30.53
-16.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$105 €94.1
-10.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$167 €150
-48.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$857 €768
-16.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$653 €585
-24.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,459 €1,308
32.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,163 €1,042
23.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$1,871 €1,677
123.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$1,579 €1,415
92.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Mestre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,909 €1,711
-73.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.31
68.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mestre: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Mestre
$653 33% $162
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Mestre
$355 33.5% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Mestre
$243 95.6% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Mestre
$173 42.1% $51
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Mestre
$229 87.8% $107
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Mestre
$71 14.3% $12
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Mestre
$59 16% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $857 in Mestre. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mestre are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $91 in Mestre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $355 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇹 Mestre
🕒 Local time
12:05 12:05 PM
06:05 6:05 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
87,377
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Mestre 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Mestre

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mestre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Mestre compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,784 in Mestre – Phuket comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Mestre?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,675 in Mestre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Mestre?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $857 in Mestre.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Mestre?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,784 in Mestre. That makes Phuket about 28% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Mestre?
Public transport costs about 28% less in Mestre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Mestre at $1,784. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mestre it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Mestre?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Phuket and Mestre?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mestre makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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