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 $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,804 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,446 in Ulaanbaatar.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulaanbaatar 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.62 MNT 20.1K

-16.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$29.99 MNT 107.2K

51.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

51.62%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.64 MNT 9,447

10.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.75 MNT 2,693

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.48 MNT 1,705

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.11 MNT 7,547

14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.31 MNT 8,244

61.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.49 MNT 5,317

49.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.98 MNT 3,489

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.14 MNT 7,648

1.40%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.17 MNT 7,771

1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$16.06 MNT 57.4K

22.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

-34.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.27 MNT 22.4K

115.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

5.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.65 MNT 9,461

-39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.44 MNT 15.9K

-45.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.68 MNT 9,566

-22.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.75 MNT 2,698

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.02 MNT 3,662

45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.27 MNT 4,534

-22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.73 MNT 2,624

-30.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.79 MNT 6,384

146.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.67 MNT 34.6K

100.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.39 MNT 4,970

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.71 MNT 6,132

58.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 MNT 987

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.61 MNT 30.8K

32.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.62 MNT 2,210

387.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.61 MNT 2,189

62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.76 MNT 17.0K

196.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.03 MNT 3,694

32.04%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.2K MNT 108.0M

-6.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.6K MNT 66.4M

77.26%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$81.4 MNT 291.0K

49.55%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$7.77 MNT 27.8K

74.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$16.99 MNT 60.7K

7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$60.5 MNT 216.1K

-0.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.47 MNT 48.2K

27.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

131.12%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$177 MNT 632.8K

291.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,504 MNT 23.3M

141.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$84.3 MNT 301.5K

-29.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$69.5 MNT 248.6K

-49.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$105 MNT 375.2K

9.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$161 MNT 577.2K

-48.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$512 MNT 1.8M

19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$405 MNT 1.4M

7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,472 MNT 5.3M

42.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$740 MNT 2.6M

103.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,967 MNT 7.0M

90.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$953 MNT 3.4M

174.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$601 MNT 2.1M

-15.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 18% 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 $30.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $247 per month, with Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Ulaanbaatar earns 18% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $177 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,161 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.