Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Soroca

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $391 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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

Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Soroca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $391 in Soroca.

Phuket $1,278
Soroca $391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $634 in Soroca.

Phuket $2,216
Soroca $634

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $876 in Soroca.

Phuket $3,154
Soroca $876

Living in Phuket is roughly 227% more expensive than in Soroca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Soroca 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.11 MDL 198

-59.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$22.66 MDL 405

43.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.62 MDL 82.6

90.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.44 MDL 25.64

96.53%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.76 MDL 13.54

14.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.43 MDL 7.75

13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.15 MDL 20.57

122.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.42 MDL 25.33

159.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.03 MDL 18.45

61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$0.36 MDL 6.36

305.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.15 MDL 20.49

30.43%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.89 MDL 33.73

10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.00 MDL 35.68

-15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.62 MDL 11.07

143.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.51 MDL 9.06

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.13 MDL 20.25

167.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.75 MDL 31.19

-16.00%

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

$20.8K MDL 372.3K

28.05%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$59.5 MDL 1,063

61.85%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.27 MDL 148

36.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$13.10 MDL 234

28.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$28.54 MDL 510

135.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.44 MDL 61.4

118.02%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$33.45 MDL 597

86.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$33.93 MDL 606

-16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$108 MDL 1,926

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$33.93 MDL 606

152.87%

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

$507 MDL 9,063

-1.02%

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 Soroca: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Soroca

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Soroca

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Soroca

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Soroca

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Soroca

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Soroca

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Soroca

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Soroca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $46 per month, with Soroca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇩 Soroca

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

00:38 12:38 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

37,400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 17.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.6 USD). 1 EUR = 20.02 MDL (100 MDL = 5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Soroca 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Soroca

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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Soroca is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $586 in Soroca 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 479% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Soroca – a meal for two runs $23 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $391 in Soroca versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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.