Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ungheni Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ungheni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $928 in Ungheni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Ungheni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,439 in Ungheni.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ungheni 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.39 MDL 129

-38.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$30.66 MDL 534

50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.99 MDL 104

47.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.50 MDL 26.12

104.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.70 MDL 12.20

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.43 MDL 7.41

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.42 MDL 24.70

71.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.49 MDL 26.00

153.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.25 MDL 21.72

80.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.45 MDL 7.88

302.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.00 MDL 17.39

125.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.28 MDL 39.64

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.70 MDL 134

153.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.03 MDL 70.2

-9.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.84 MDL 119

90.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.55 MDL 9.51

487.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.49 MDL 25.91

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.68 MDL 29.28

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.28 MDL 22.31

58.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.55 MDL 9.55

178.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.34 MDL 5.87

341.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.35 MDL 23.58

-27.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.52 MDL 9.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.05 MDL 53.1

45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.34 MDL 75.6

322.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.19 MDL 20.69

56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.29 MDL 22.39

107.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.37 MDL 6.39

281.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.73 MDL 30.14

79.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.27 MDL 4.74

285.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.45 MDL 77.5

217.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.28 MDL 22.20

2.34%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$32.2K MDL 560.2K

-13.53%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.0K MDL 539.2K

7.26%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$162 MDL 2,827

-24.57%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.51 MDL 131

80.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.77 MDL 188

73.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$20.57 MDL 358

194.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.15 MDL 72.3

118.55%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$397 MDL 6,921

77.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,518 MDL 130.9K

110.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$44.37 MDL 773

31.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$21.61 MDL 376

63.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$40.25 MDL 701

186.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$110 MDL 1,913

-23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$963 MDL 16.8K

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$365 MDL 6,351

22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,508 MDL 26.3K

35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,280 MDL 22.3K

16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,307 MDL 40.2K

50.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,693 MDL 29.5K

52.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $963 in Ungheni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Ungheni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $150 per month, with Ungheni 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 Ungheni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ungheni is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,392 in Ungheni 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $963 in Ungheni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $397 in Ungheni. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ungheni – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $928 in Ungheni versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ungheni but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ungheni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ungheni 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 Ungheni 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 Ungheni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.