Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nalaikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Nalaikh: $905 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
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Nalaikh Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nalaikh

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 Nalaikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $905 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Nalaikh $905

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,430 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Nalaikh $1,430

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,956 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Nalaikh $1,956

Phuket costs about 41% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Nalaikh are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nalaikh 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.39 MNT 15.8K

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$26.30 MNT 94.5K

23.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.49 MNT 16.1K

96.21%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.24 MNT 8,050

26.34%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.67 MNT 2,411

29.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.40 MNT 1,437

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.40 MNT 5,034

82.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.18 MNT 7,832

68.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.23 MNT 4,425

34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$0.87 MNT 3,114

67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.60 MNT 5,735

-6.25%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.14 MNT 7,695

-2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.58 MNT 45.2K

51.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

-21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.39 MNT 19.4K

102.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-6.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.39 MNT 8,583

-29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.82 MNT 13.7K

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.75 MNT 9,873

-24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.57 MNT 2,052

164.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.01 MNT 3,630

36.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.22 MNT 4,369

-12.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.62 MNT 2,238

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.63 MNT 5,848

157.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.53 MNT 30.7K

120.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.95 MNT 3,431

91.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.62 MNT 5,826

75.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.16 MNT 562

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$6.26 MNT 22.5K

805.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.55 MNT 1,980

449.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.56 MNT 2,001

82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$2.47 MNT 8,859

49.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.96 MNT 3,446

53.13%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$26.7K MNT 96.0M

0.19%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$16.6K MNT 59.5M

61.17%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$69.2 MNT 248.5K

39.33%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$6.91 MNT 24.8K

62.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$11.33 MNT 40.7K

48.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$55.0 MNT 197.8K

22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.70 MNT 49.2K

-21.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.85 MNT 10.2K

163.16%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$125 MNT 449.2K

280.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$5,461 MNT 19.6M

106.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$60.8 MNT 218.6K

2.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$45.19 MNT 162.4K

-37.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$83.5 MNT 300.1K

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$127 MNT 456.0K

-32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$425 MNT 1.5M

68.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$302 MNT 1.1M

62.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,249 MNT 4.5M

54.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$587 MNT 2.1M

143.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$1,407 MNT 5.1M

196.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$829 MNT 3.0M

267.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$531 MNT 1.9M

-5.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nalaikh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Nalaikh

$302 33.4% 38.5% $189

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Nalaikh

$211 23.3% 20.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Nalaikh

$87 9.7% 29.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nalaikh

$142 15.7% 16.8% $20

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nalaikh

$91 10.1% 25.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Nalaikh

$61 6.7% 26.1% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Nalaikh

$10 1.1% 85.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $425 in Nalaikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Nalaikh, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $26 in Nalaikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $211 – making Nalaikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

30,049

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 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 = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,028 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Nalaikh 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Nalaikh

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 Nalaikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 41% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,357 in Nalaikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nalaikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $905 in Nalaikh. That makes Nalaikh about 29% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 89% less in Nalaikh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $905 in Nalaikh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Nalaikh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Nalaikh is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.