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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,053 in Cricova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,939 in Cricova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,825 in Cricova.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Cricova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cricova 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$8.56 MDL 145

-48.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$29.10 MDL 494

20.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$10.89 MDL 185

-17.72%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.08 MDL 18.32

177.78%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.09 MDL 18.47

-29.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.73 MDL 12.35

-35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.02 MDL 34.27

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.28 MDL 38.68

64.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$2.51 MDL 42.60

-27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.52 MDL 8.89

173.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.09 MDL 18.49

42.20%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.30 MDL 22.06

63.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$6.95 MDL 118

184.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.71 MDL 80.0

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$12.59 MDL 214

-11.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.14 MDL 19.31

155.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$0.83 MDL 14.15

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.12 MDL 19.09

102.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.14 MDL 19.36

84.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.76 MDL 12.84

93.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.14 MDL 19.36

23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.09 MDL 18.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.08 MDL 18.42

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.38 MDL 57.4

32.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$4.73 MDL 80.2

295.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.66 MDL 45.17

-30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$4.49 MDL 76.2

-34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.60 MDL 10.27

276.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$23.42 MDL 398

-1.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.13 MDL 19.21

169.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.27 MDL 4.63

303.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$6.90 MDL 117

-44.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.37 MDL 23.20

8.76%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$30.3K MDL 514.0K

-9.35%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$25.2K MDL 427.1K

9.39%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$249 MDL 4,235

-59.18%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$8.20 MDL 139

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$11.79 MDL 200

50.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$58.8 MDL 998

-7.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$11.72 MDL 199

-6.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.96 MDL 135

-1.38%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$119 MDL 2,015

386.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,386 MDL 91.5K

115.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$57.4 MDL 974

13.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$28.86 MDL 490

0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$86.7 MDL 1,472

14.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$115 MDL 1,949

-21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$936 MDL 15.9K

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$229 MDL 3,881

113.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,446 MDL 24.6K

44.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$1,168 MDL 19.8K

3.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,942 MDL 50.0K

22.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$2,013 MDL 34.2K

29.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$584 MDL 9,924

-14.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-20.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Cricova: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $936 in Cricova. 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $197 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

Phuket vs Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Cricova differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,053 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Cricova. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Phuket versus $936 in Cricova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 2% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $119 in Cricova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,053 in Cricova versus $1,261 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, Phuket and Cricova 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.