Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cahul Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cahul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $649 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $953 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,258 in Cahul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than in Cahul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cahul 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.89 MDL 153

-47.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$23.72 MDL 407

35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$10.81 MDL 186

-19.70%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.69 MDL 29.04

71.60%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$1.15 MDL 19.66

-26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.56 MDL 9.66

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$2.00 MDL 34.25

24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.90 MDL 32.59

96.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.32 MDL 22.62

43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$0.47 MDL 8.04

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.64 MDL 28.21

-1.22%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.25 MDL 38.65

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.04 MDL 121

181.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.76 MDL 81.7

-26.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$6.56 MDL 113

73.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.02 MDL 17.47

184.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.38 MDL 40.90

-27.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$1.93 MDL 33.04

17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$2.45 MDL 42.11

-13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.79 MDL 13.60

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$0.54 MDL 9.24

162.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$0.44 MDL 7.55

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.55 MDL 9.47

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.38 MDL 58.0

27.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.60 MDL 79.0

304.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$1.43 MDL 24.55

25.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$2.01 MDL 34.48

47.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$2.88 MDL 49.41

7.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$0.25 MDL 4.28

332.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.88 MDL 101

-34.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.54 MDL 26.35

-7.14%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$34.3K MDL 588.8K

-19.03%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$25.6K MDL 438.7K

5.56%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$236 MDL 4,050

-55.60%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$8.07 MDL 139

41.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$11.47 MDL 197

52.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.73 MDL 133

0.65%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$116 MDL 1,998

395.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$5,457 MDL 93.6K

112.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$47.16 MDL 809

34.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$57.1 MDL 980

68.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$52.5 MDL 901

71.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$528 MDL 9,054

-3.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cahul: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cahul pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $170 per month, with Cahul 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

Phuket vs Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cahul wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cahul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Cahul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $649 in Cahul – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $649 in Cahul versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cahul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cahul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cahul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $649 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cahul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cahul 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 Cahul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.