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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $657 in Darkhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,083 in Darkhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,508 in Darkhan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than Darkhan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Darkhan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.70 MNT 20.4K

-17.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$29.36 MNT 105.0K

54.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.27 MNT 18.9K

59.96%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.63 MNT 9,397

11.41%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.78 MNT 2,775

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.51 MNT 1,831

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.07 MNT 7,416

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.29 MNT 8,176

62.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.42 MNT 5,093

57.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.97 MNT 3,470

88.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.11 MNT 7,542

2.84%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.15 MNT 7,680

2.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$15.95 MNT 57.0K

23.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.67 MNT 20.3K

-35.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.44 MNT 23.0K

110.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.11 MNT 11.1K

5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.59 MNT 9,266

-37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.46 MNT 16.0K

-45.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.66 MNT 9,504

-21.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.75 MNT 2,695

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.02 MNT 3,645

45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.25 MNT 4,478

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 MNT 2,637

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.78 MNT 6,372

147.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.55 MNT 34.1K

102.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.38 MNT 4,919

28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.79 MNT 6,412

51.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.17 MNT 603

705.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.30 MNT 1,079

906.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.61 MNT 2,190

62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.81 MNT 17.2K

193.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.08 MNT 3,879

25.93%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

-7.68%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.0K MNT 68.0M

73.10%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$82.1 MNT 293.6K

48.20%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$7.71 MNT 27.6K

76.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$16.71 MNT 59.8K

9.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.91 MNT 14.0K

122.25%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$176 MNT 630.1K

293.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,477 MNT 23.2M

142.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$86.4 MNT 309.1K

-31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$68.6 MNT 245.4K

-49.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$104 MNT 370.2K

10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$158 MNT 564.3K

-47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $246 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 93% 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 $1,898 in Phuket and $985 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 $693 in Phuket versus $176 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $657 in Darkhan versus $1,265 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 $657 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 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.