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: $1,608 in Saint-Leu versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,499 in Saint-Leu versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,390 in Saint-Leu versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Saint-Leu is roughly 31% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint-Leu is 20% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.33 €25.04

$4.63 ฿151

533.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €78.1

$46.84 ฿1,523

95.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.43

$3.00 ฿97.4

-5.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.96

$0.37 ฿11.88

205.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 €6.86

$2.44 ฿79.3

229.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.89

$3.61 ฿117

58.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.97

$2.26 ฿73.5

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.84 ฿59.8

-32.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.24 ฿73.0

4.91%

Eggs

$4.66 €3.98

$2.32 ฿75.3

100.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €19.52

$19.67 ฿639

16.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 €2.97

$3.39 ฿110

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.64 ฿53.4

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$2.41 ฿78.5

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.03 ฿66.0

66.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$1.56 ฿50.6

48.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.02

$1.50 ฿48.66

57.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.49 ฿15.91

83.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.18 €12.96

$4.45 ฿145

241.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €4.98

$18.88 ฿614

-69.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.78 ฿57.7

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.40 ฿45.54

66.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.48 €39.69

$11.48 ฿373

304.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.35 ฿43.93

18.52%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$99.5 €85.0

$125 ฿4,063

-20.37%

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

$10.38 €8.86

$13.57 ฿441

-23.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.17 €30.03

$18.52 ฿602

89.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.31 €29.30

$61.5 ฿1,999

-44.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.00

$9.19 ฿299

14.69%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 €970

$616 ฿20.0K

84.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 €689

$446 ฿14.5K

80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,766

$2,048 ฿66.6K

0.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 €1,179

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-7.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,140 €1,828

$524 ฿17.0K

308.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Saint-Leu: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Saint-Leu and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Leu pays 309% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $292, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saint-Leu pays 309% more on average, 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: $1,136 in Saint-Leu versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $91.0 in Saint-Leu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 305% less than in Saint-Leu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,608 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 31% less than in Saint-Leu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.