Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ukmerge Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ukmerge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Ukmerge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,027 in Ukmerge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,699 in Ukmerge.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 7% less than in Ukmerge, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ukmerge is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$9.43 €8.13

-51.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$40.23 €34.66

15.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.83 €5.88

24.01%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.19 €2.75

-5.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.35 €2.03

-70.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.69 €1.46

-78.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.93 €5.11

-58.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.66 €4.01

-21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.38 €1.19

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.78 €1.54

6.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.06 €1.78

6.80%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.92 €2.51

-23.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.53 €9.08

89.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.25 €4.52

-30.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.87 €8.50

34.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.41 €1.22

129.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.57 €1.35

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.71 €1.48

39.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.18 €2.74

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.81 €0.70

96.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.98 €0.85

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.58 €1.36

-34.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.86 €0.74

-39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.56 €4.79

-23.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.78 €7.56

114.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.65 €1.42

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.72 €1.49

60.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.18 €1.01

15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$33.62 €28.96

-66.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.70 €4.05

-33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.16 €1.00

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$13.50 €11.64

2.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.60 €1.38

-16.25%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$38.6K €33.3K

-28.28%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.5K €24.6K

18.83%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$207 €179

-40.36%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$15.84 €13.64

-14.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$14.68 €12.65

27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.79 €36.00

47.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$23.31 €20.08

-26.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.17 €7.90

-0.33%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$456 €393

54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$10.4K €8,993

52.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$137 €118

-56.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$43.66 €37.62

-19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$84.4 €72.7

36.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$185 €160

-54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$538 €463

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$364 €313

18.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$828 €714

148.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$654 €564

131.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,110 €2,680

17.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,729 €1,490

51.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,239 €1,068

-59.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.13

29.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ukmerge: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $538 in Ukmerge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ukmerge pays 144% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Ukmerge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $229 per month, with Ukmerge 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 Ukmerge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ukmerge earns 144% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $538 in Ukmerge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $456 in Ukmerge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ukmerge pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Ukmerge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ukmerge. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ukmerge 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Ukmerge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.