Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulcinj

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulcinj: $1,226 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $620 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

Phuket, Thailand
Ulcinj, Montenegro
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Ulcinj
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,226
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ulcinj

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Ulcinj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,226 in Ulcinj.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Ulcinj $1,226

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,881 in Ulcinj.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Ulcinj $1,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,536 in Ulcinj.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Ulcinj $2,536

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Ulcinj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulcinj 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$10.97 €9.83
-59.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$36.74 €32.92
-11.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.94 €7.11
10.96%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.30 €2.06
23.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$2.29 €2.05
-62.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$1.61 €1.44
-69.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.28 €2.05
12.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.30 €2.96
11.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.16 €1.04
43.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$0.64 €0.58
128.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.80 €2.51
-46.43%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.92 €1.72
8.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$9.06 €8.12
110.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.45 €6.67
-55.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.46 €11.17
-12.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.28 €1.15
128.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.55 €1.39
9.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.04 €0.93
116.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.16 €1.04
79.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.76 €0.68
98.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$1.26 €1.13
9.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$1.51 €1.35
-29.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.88 €0.78
-40.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.83 €3.43
9.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$4.50 €4.03
317.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.23 €1.10
47.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.70 €1.53
67.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$1.83 €1.64
-20.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$37.79 €33.87
49.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.14 €1.02
164.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$1.09 €0.98
-6.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$16.50 €14.78
-77.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.58 €1.42
-6.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$32.3K €29.0K
-17.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$21.6K €19.3K
23.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$133 €120
-27.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$13.02 €11.67
-13.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$25.56 €22.91
-34.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$22.54 €20.20
198.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$16.12 €14.44
-33.44%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.97 €7.14
-5.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$441 €396
7.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$6,847 €6,136
64.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$85.1 €76.3
-26.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$33.83 €30.31
-16.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$71.7 €64.3
31.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$93.9 €84.1
-8.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$674 €604
6.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$459 €411
6.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,488 €1,334
29.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$860 €771
66.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$3,694 €3,310
13.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$2,403 €2,154
26.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Ulcinj
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5
11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ulcinj: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Ulcinj
$459 6.5% $32
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Ulcinj
$204 23.3% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Ulcinj
$172 38.2% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Ulcinj
$128 5% $6.1
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Ulcinj
$173 42% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Ulcinj
$38 53.2% $44
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Ulcinj
$52 26.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $674 in Ulcinj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in Ulcinj. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $204, with Ulcinj cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇪 Ulcinj
🕒 Local time
10:46 10:46 AM
04:46 4:46 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
10,707
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Ulcinj 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Ulcinj

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ulcinj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ulcinj cheaper than Phuket?
Ulcinj is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,839 in Ulcinj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Ulcinj?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $674 in Ulcinj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $441 in Ulcinj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Ulcinj?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or Ulcinj?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Ulcinj gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Ulcinj?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Ulcinj?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Ulcinj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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