Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $376 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Erdenet

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Erdenet actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $376 in Erdenet.

Phuket $1,278
Erdenet $376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $621 in Erdenet.

Phuket $2,216
Erdenet $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $866 in Erdenet.

Phuket $3,154
Erdenet $866

Living in Phuket is roughly 240% more expensive than in Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Erdenet 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$27.73 MNT 99.7K

16.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

114.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.27 MNT 8,168

24.67%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.61 MNT 2,181

42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.44 MNT 1,579

11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.64 MNT 5,878

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.65 MNT 5,941

123.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.03 MNT 3,697

61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$0.91 MNT 3,262

60.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.75 MNT 9,888

-45.45%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.04 MNT 7,336

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.07 MNT 25.4K

169.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.06 MNT 25.4K

-53.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.35 MNT 15.6K

150.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$2.25 MNT 8,083

30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.66 MNT 5,954

1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.64 MNT 5,886

37.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.36 MNT 4,878

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.43 MNT 5,128

5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$0.80 MNT 2,865

72.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.37 MNT 4,920

-21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.92 MNT 3,322

-43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

48.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

247.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.71 MNT 6,152

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.68 MNT 6,039

69.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.15 MNT 537

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$19.42 MNT 69.8K

191.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.66 MNT 2,373

357.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.44 MNT 1,564

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.76 MNT 2,733

93.42%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$59.5 MNT 213.7K

62.01%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.72 MNT 9,788

313.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$14.04 MNT 50.5K

20.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$276 MNT 993.1K

72.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$2,461 MNT 8.8M

357.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$227 MNT 814.4K

121.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Erdenet

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Erdenet

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Erdenet

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Erdenet

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Erdenet

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Erdenet

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Erdenet

–

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays about 2.2 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Erdenet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $188 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

86,866

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,011 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Erdenet 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Erdenet

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $376 in Erdenet, so Erdenet is about 71% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $276 in Erdenet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $376 in Erdenet versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Erdenet but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Erdenet 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 Erdenet are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Erdenet wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.