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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Saint-Leu versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Saint-Leu versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Saint-Leu versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Saint-Leu is roughly 26% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint-Leu is 13% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.91 €25.16

$4.41 ฿147

555.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.4

$32.26 ฿1,074

182.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.93 €2.55

$2.90 ฿96.4

1.03%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$0.48 ฿16.01

147.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 €7.19

$2.35 ฿78.3

251.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.07

$3.72 ฿124

56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.87 ฿62.1

-39.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.47 ฿48.81

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$1.55 ฿51.7

47.10%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.10

$2.10 ฿70.0

124.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.66 €20.60

$19.59 ฿652

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €2.98

$2.98 ฿99.3

15.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.68 ฿56.1

5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$2.21 ฿73.5

2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €2.95

$2.16 ฿72.0

56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.52 ฿50.8

50.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.34 ฿44.55

70.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.55 ฿18.19

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 €13.07

$4.26 ฿142

252.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 €5.05

$19.09 ฿635

-69.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.78 ฿59.2

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.49 ฿49.63

34.23%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

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

$97.8 €85.1

$102 ฿3,411

-4.56%

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

$10.66 €9.28

$11.33 ฿377

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 €30.77

$17.40 ฿579

103.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 €29.93

$52.1 ฿1,734

-33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.23

$7.69 ฿256

37.84%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,029

$738 ฿24.6K

60.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 €716

$482 ฿16.1K

70.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 €1,835

$2,107 ฿70.1K

0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 €1,219

$1,226 ฿40.8K

14.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,122 €1,847

$494 ฿16.4K

329.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Saint-Leu: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,182 in Saint-Leu and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Leu pays 330% 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: $91.0 in Saint-Leu vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $274, with Saint-Leu 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 330% higher in Saint-Leu, 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: $1,182 in Saint-Leu versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Saint-Leu pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $91.0 in Saint-Leu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,550 in Saint-Leu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint-Leu. 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-Leu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint-Leu 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 26% less than in Saint-Leu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.