Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Darkhan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Darkhan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $668 in Darkhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,086 in Darkhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,504 in Darkhan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than in Darkhan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Darkhan 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.41 MNT 19.4K

-15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$29.32 MNT 105.1K

57.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.54 MNT 19.8K

59.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.54 MNT 9,097

20.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.72 MNT 2,566

1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.51 MNT 1,825

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.11 MNT 7,571

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.30 MNT 8,253

64.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.44 MNT 5,149

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.02 MNT 3,657

77.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.14 MNT 7,668

5.14%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.08 MNT 7,466

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.66 MNT 56.1K

24.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.67 MNT 20.3K

-35.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.51 MNT 23.3K

100.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.15 MNT 11.3K

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.61 MNT 9,338

-37.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.25 MNT 15.2K

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.71 MNT 9,710

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.78 MNT 2,779

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.03 MNT 3,689

45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.24 MNT 4,456

-20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.75 MNT 2,703

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.76 MNT 6,315

152.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.45 MNT 37.5K

75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.38 MNT 4,937

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.71 MNT 6,138

56.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.13 MNT 481

984.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.30 MNT 1,089

936.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.62 MNT 2,213

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.62 MNT 16.6K

205.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.08 MNT 3,878

21.30%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$30.8K MNT 110.3M

-9.62%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$18.9K MNT 67.8M

75.56%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$81.9 MNT 293.7K

49.43%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.40 MNT 26.5K

83.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$16.90 MNT 60.6K

10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.78 MNT 13.6K

139.95%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$174 MNT 623.3K

306.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,373 MNT 22.8M

148.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$84.2 MNT 301.6K

-30.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$70.1 MNT 251.1K

-49.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$102 MNT 363.9K

13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$160 MNT 571.8K

-47.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $248 per month, with Darkhan 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 Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,001 in Darkhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $174 in Darkhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Darkhan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Darkhan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $668 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Darkhan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Darkhan 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 Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.