Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulaanbaatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulaanbaatar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ulaanbaatar 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

-15.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

-1.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

60.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.38 MNT 8,567

21.85%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.83 MNT 2,974

1.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.57 MNT 2,032

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.31 MNT 8,312

7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

14.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.45 MNT 5,219

30.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.97 MNT 3,502

45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.06 MNT 7,402

-21.36%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.15 MNT 7,747

4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

59.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

-28.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

58.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.38 MNT 8,547

-27.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

-37.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.70 MNT 2,499

110.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.04 MNT 3,756

36.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.75 MNT 6,280

-37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.79 MNT 2,847

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$1.77 MNT 6,353

143.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.50 MNT 5,388

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.72 MNT 6,200

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.29 MNT 1,045

675.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

42.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.51 MNT 1,846

507.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.54 MNT 1,929

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

-37.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.06 MNT 3,803

34.91%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

1.61%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

-21.76%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

50.25%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

52.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

26.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

-18.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

-37.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

90.69%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$813 MNT 2.9M

-29.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

37.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

-23.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

-34.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$105 MNT 377.1K

-8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$190 MNT 683.9K

-52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$586 MNT 2.1M

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$452 MNT 1.6M

10.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

22.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

83.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$955 MNT 3.4M

174.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$592 MNT 2.1M

-14.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.32

-46.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $586 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $237, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Ulaanbaatar. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $586 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $813 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.