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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $680 in Soroca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,068 in Soroca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,457 in Soroca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Soroca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Soroca 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.67 MDL 151

-47.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$36.31 MDL 632

27.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.52 MDL 131

17.55%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.89 MDL 32.88

61.90%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.92 MDL 16.03

-20.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.65 MDL 11.32

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.71 MDL 29.81

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.27 MDL 39.57

66.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.29 MDL 22.51

75.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.55 MDL 9.66

229.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.50 MDL 26.09

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.63 MDL 45.83

-14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.20 MDL 178

91.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.32 MDL 92.7

-31.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.07 MDL 158

43.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.86 MDL 14.95

275.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.84 MDL 32.06

-11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.69 MDL 29.50

40.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.07 MDL 36.03

-1.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.76 MDL 13.29

101.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.60 MDL 10.36

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.36 MDL 23.61

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.90 MDL 15.62

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.30 MDL 57.5

34.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.21 MDL 21.10

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.99 MDL 34.65

34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.28 MDL 4.82

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.09 MDL 36.34

48.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.27 MDL 4.75

285.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.16 MDL 89.8

173.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.44 MDL 25.00

-9.03%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$31.9K MDL 555.1K

-12.75%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.6K MDL 550.8K

5.02%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$169 MDL 2,951

-27.75%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.66 MDL 133

77.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.94 MDL 191

70.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.62 MDL 133

19.03%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$388 MDL 6,758

82.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,634 MDL 132.9K

107.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$66.0 MDL 1,149

-11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$53.4 MDL 930

-33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$112 MDL 1,958

2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$125 MDL 2,168

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$507 MDL 8,820

-1.32%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Soroca: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Soroca pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Soroca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $182 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 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Soroca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $388 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $680 in Soroca versus $1,250 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 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.