Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,880 in Cricova versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Cricova versus $2,822 in Phuket.

Living in Cricova costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cricova 21% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 151

$4.35 ฿146

95.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.14 MDL 500

$32.45 ฿1,093

-13.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 MDL 187

$8.42 ฿283

24.94%

Cappuccino

$1.04 MDL 18.48

$2.81 ฿94.5

-62.99%

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

$1.09 MDL 19.34

$0.87 ฿29.46

25.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MDL 11.82

$0.46 ฿15.48

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 MDL 36.14

$2.59 ฿87.0

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MDL 39.75

$3.64 ฿123

-38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 MDL 41.59

$1.71 ฿57.5

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MDL 8.84

$1.45 ฿48.69

-65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MDL 19.55

$1.56 ฿52.5

-29.49%

Eggs

$1.25 MDL 22.27

$2.10 ฿70.7

-40.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 MDL 118

$19.53 ฿657

-66.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MDL 82.7

$3.40 ฿114

37.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 MDL 216

$11.14 ฿375

9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.26

$2.83 ฿95.4

-61.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.43

$1.62 ฿54.6

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 MDL 18.59

$2.22 ฿74.9

-52.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 MDL 19.46

$2.15 ฿72.3

-48.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MDL 12.93

$1.49 ฿50.2

-51.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MDL 18.62

$1.33 ฿44.65

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MDL 18.61

$1.07 ฿35.92

-1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MDL 19.27

$0.51 ฿17.10

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MDL 60.4

$4.38 ฿148

-22.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.46 MDL 79.2

$18.77 ฿632

-76.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 MDL 45.26

$1.74 ฿58.6

46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MDL 76.5

$2.78 ฿93.5

54.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MDL 9.92

$2.17 ฿73.0

-74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.18 MDL 394

$22.28 ฿750

-0.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.49

$3.02 ฿102

-63.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.22

$1.06 ฿35.63

-77.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 MDL 123

$3.71 ฿125

87.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MDL 24.41

$1.43 ฿48.16

-4.20%

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

$29.8K MDL 528.9K

$26.3K ฿887.1K

13.04%

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

$24.0K MDL 426.5K

$26.2K ฿882.3K

-8.35%

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

$239 MDL 4,239

$96.7 ฿3,254

146.94%

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

$7.95 MDL 141

$11.41 ฿384

-30.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.17 MDL 198

$17.11 ฿576

-34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 MDL 1,007

$52.8 ฿1,778

7.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.26 MDL 200

$11.07 ฿373

1.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 MDL 138

$7.65 ฿258

1.83%

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

$112 MDL 1,997

$555 ฿18.7K

-79.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 MDL 93.4K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-53.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MDL 1,006

$63.4 ฿2,135

-10.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 MDL 510

$28.61 ฿963

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 MDL 1,477

$96.7 ฿3,256

-14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,014

$88.6 ฿2,983

27.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 MDL 16.3K

$735 ฿24.7K

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 MDL 3,957

$458 ฿15.4K

-51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 MDL 25.0K

$2,102 ฿70.8K

-33.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MDL 19.8K

$1,187 ฿40.0K

-5.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,798 MDL 49.7K

$3,493 ฿117.6K

-19.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MDL 35.1K

$2,491 ฿83.9K

-20.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 MDL 10.3K

$501 ฿16.9K

15.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Cricova: October 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $918 in Cricova and $735 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cricova pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Cricova vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $268 per month, with Cricova 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

Cricova vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cricova and Phuket differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,054 vs $1,190 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Cricova, 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: $918 in Cricova versus $735 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 0% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Cricova versus $555 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cricova 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 Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.