Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Etienne and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Etienne and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,539 in Saint-Etienne versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,280 in Saint-Etienne versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,022 in Saint-Etienne versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Saint-Etienne is roughly 23% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint-Etienne is 15% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.57

$4.55 ฿153

266.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.79 €40.94

$46.18 ฿1,554

1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.56

$8.84 ฿298

49.55%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.82

$3.06 ฿103

-32.03%

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

$2.68 €2.35

$0.73 ฿24.42

267.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.40 ฿13.40

182.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 €3.56

$2.43 ฿81.8

67.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$3.78 ฿127

23.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.26 ฿76.0

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 €1.04

$1.81 ฿60.9

-34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.37

$2.25 ฿75.8

20.00%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.11

$2.25 ฿75.6

57.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.41 €16.10

$19.51 ฿656

-5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 €13.34

$3.65 ฿123

317.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 €17.99

$13.05 ฿439

57.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$3.23 ฿109

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.62 ฿54.4

34.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$2.38 ฿80.2

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €2.95

$2.03 ฿68.2

66.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$1.53 ฿51.6

51.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 €2.37

$1.50 ฿50.5

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.42

$0.98 ฿32.93

65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 €0.32

$0.52 ฿17.40

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.97 €11.35

$4.44 ฿149

192.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.98

$18.32 ฿616

-56.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.73

$1.86 ฿62.7

67.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 €3.36

$2.68 ฿90.2

43.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.41 ฿47.49

15.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.62 €41.66

$11.70 ฿394

307.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.67

$3.11 ฿105

71.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.04 ฿35.08

69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.52

$14.11 ฿475

139.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.85

$1.31 ฿44.13

61.07%

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

$37.3K €32.6K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

34.06%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

13.54%

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

$123 €107

$122 ฿4,120

0.16%

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

$27.99 €24.49

$13.59 ฿457

105.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.06

$18.70 ฿629

77.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.28 €27.37

$60.5 ฿2,035

-48.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 €6.21

$16.98 ฿572

-58.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.14

$9.07 ฿305

15.21%

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

$788 €689

$706 ฿23.8K

11.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,225 €7,196

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-47.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 €69.5

$58.6 ฿1,970

35.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.14 €39.49

$35.36 ฿1,190

27.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €75.9

$115 ฿3,885

-24.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €101

$83.7 ฿2,818

37.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 €504

$626 ฿21.1K

-7.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 €396

$445 ฿15.0K

1.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 €794

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €616

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-52.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 €1,535

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-49.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,676 €1,466

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-34.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €1,996

$500 ฿16.8K

356.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

5.33

-31.71%

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

Last update for Saint-Etienne: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Saint-Etienne and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Etienne pays 356% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Saint-Etienne vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Saint-Etienne vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 356% higher in Saint-Etienne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $576 in Saint-Etienne versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $788 in Saint-Etienne versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Saint-Etienne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,539 in Saint-Etienne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint-Etienne. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint-Etienne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint-Etienne and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Saint-Etienne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.