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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,770 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,413 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulaanbaatar 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.38 MNT 19.3K

-15.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$28.93 MNT 103.7K

59.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

67.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.55 MNT 9,154

20.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.76 MNT 2,714

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.51 MNT 1,830

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.10 MNT 7,526

15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.34 MNT 8,379

61.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.43 MNT 5,132

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.98 MNT 3,522

84.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.11 MNT 7,567

6.64%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.09 MNT 7,499

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.62 MNT 56.0K

24.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.77 MNT 20.7K

-36.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.48 MNT 23.2K

101.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.17 MNT 11.4K

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.67 MNT 9,554

-39.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$4.28 MNT 15.4K

-44.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.67 MNT 9,581

-23.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.72 MNT 2,589

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 MNT 3,625

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.29 MNT 4,638

-24.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.71 MNT 2,534

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.77 MNT 6,342

150.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.38 MNT 37.2K

76.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.34 MNT 4,795

38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.70 MNT 6,092

57.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 MNT 991

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$8.81 MNT 31.6K

32.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.56 MNT 2,011

455.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.56 MNT 2,024

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$4.64 MNT 16.6K

204.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.08 MNT 3,860

21.30%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

-8.71%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$18.4K MNT 65.9M

80.63%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$82.7 MNT 296.4K

48.04%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.41 MNT 26.5K

83.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$16.71 MNT 59.9K

11.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$62.3 MNT 223.3K

-2.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$13.72 MNT 49.2K

23.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

141.22%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$175 MNT 628.2K

302.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$6,474 MNT 23.2M

144.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$85.9 MNT 307.7K

-31.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$69.8 MNT 250.3K

-49.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$105 MNT 375.0K

10.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$160 MNT 573.3K

-47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$511 MNT 1.8M

22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$405 MNT 1.5M

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,501 MNT 5.4M

35.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$757 MNT 2.7M

97.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,934 MNT 6.9M

80.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$957 MNT 3.4M

169.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$596 MNT 2.1M

-16.17%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 19% 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 $29.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $175 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,250 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 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.