Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Soroca Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Soroca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $699 in Soroca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,077 in Soroca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,455 in Soroca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than Soroca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Soroca 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.66 MDL 149

-45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$36.01 MDL 618

25.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.79 MDL 134

8.22%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.79 MDL 30.65

63.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.94 MDL 16.07

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.69 MDL 11.84

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.73 MDL 29.65

39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.39 MDL 40.97

55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.25 MDL 21.46

78.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.55 MDL 9.50

232.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.44 MDL 24.67

50.69%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.64 MDL 45.24

-16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.24 MDL 176

92.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.34 MDL 91.6

-32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.05 MDL 155

49.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.90 MDL 15.39

264.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.74 MDL 29.90

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.75 MDL 30.12

37.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.08 MDL 35.66

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.83 MDL 14.32

84.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.55 MDL 9.47

169.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.36 MDL 23.42

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.89 MDL 15.22

-42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.16 MDL 54.3

39.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.21 MDL 20.86

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.93 MDL 33.13

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.28 MDL 4.78

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.99 MDL 34.25

51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.25 MDL 4.29

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.32 MDL 91.4

165.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.37 MDL 23.48

-0.73%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$32.5K MDL 558.4K

-13.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.7K MDL 526.8K

7.24%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$175 MDL 3,003

-30.41%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.39 MDL 127

83.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$10.95 MDL 188

67.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.62 MDL 131

14.04%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$385 MDL 6,615

79.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$7,749 MDL 133.1K

102.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$65.7 MDL 1,128

-9.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$53.4 MDL 917

-34.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$113 MDL 1,935

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$122 MDL 2,093

-31.67%

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 ฿68.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$517 MDL 8,875

-1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.24

-42.32%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Soroca: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Soroca pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Soroca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $181 per month, with Soroca 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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Soroca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Soroca earns 2% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $385 in Soroca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Soroca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $699 in Soroca versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Soroca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Soroca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Soroca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Soroca 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 Soroca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.