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: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,054 in Cricova.

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

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

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cricova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$8.51 MDL 151

-48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,093

$28.14 MDL 500

15.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$10.52 MDL 187

-19.96%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.5

$1.04 MDL 18.48

170.19%

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

$0.87 ฿29.46

$1.09 MDL 19.34

-20.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.48

$0.67 MDL 11.82

-31.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.0

$2.03 MDL 36.14

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$2.24 MDL 39.75

62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.5

$2.34 MDL 41.59

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.69

$0.50 MDL 8.84

190.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.10 MDL 19.55

41.82%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.7

$1.25 MDL 22.27

68.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿657

$6.62 MDL 118

195.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.66 MDL 82.7

-27.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿375

$12.19 MDL 216

-8.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.08 MDL 19.26

162.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.81 MDL 14.43

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.9

$1.05 MDL 18.59

111.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.3

$1.10 MDL 19.46

95.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.73 MDL 12.93

104.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.65

$1.05 MDL 18.62

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.92

$1.05 MDL 18.61

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.10

$1.08 MDL 19.27

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿148

$3.40 MDL 60.4

28.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿632

$4.46 MDL 79.2

320.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$2.55 MDL 45.26

-31.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.5

$4.30 MDL 76.5

-35.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿73.0

$0.56 MDL 9.92

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿750

$22.18 MDL 394

0.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.10 MDL 19.49

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.63

$0.24 MDL 4.22

341.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$6.94 MDL 123

-46.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.16

$1.37 MDL 24.41

4.38%

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

$26.3K ฿887.1K

$29.8K MDL 528.9K

-11.53%

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

$26.2K ฿882.3K

$24.0K MDL 426.5K

9.11%

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

$96.7 ฿3,254

$239 MDL 4,239

-59.50%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$7.95 MDL 141

43.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿576

$11.17 MDL 198

53.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,778

$56.7 MDL 1,007

-6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿373

$11.26 MDL 200

-1.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿258

$7.79 MDL 138

-1.80%

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

$555 ฿18.7K

$112 MDL 1,997

393.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$5,258 MDL 93.4K

114.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,135

$56.6 MDL 1,006

12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿963

$28.69 MDL 510

-0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,256

$83.2 MDL 1,477

16.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,983

$113 MDL 2,014

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$918 MDL 16.3K

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$223 MDL 3,957

105.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.8K

$1,407 MDL 25.0K

49.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿40.0K

$1,117 MDL 19.8K

6.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.6K

$2,798 MDL 49.7K

24.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.9K

$1,976 MDL 35.1K

26.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

$581 MDL 10.3K

-13.78%

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cricova: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $918 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $189 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,190 vs $1,054 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: $735 in Phuket versus $918 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 0% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $112 in Cricova. 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, 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.