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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $688 in Ungheni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,075 in Ungheni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,462 in Ungheni.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ungheni 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$7.79 MDL 134

-40.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$23.12 MDL 397

39.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.03 MDL 121

23.47%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.49 MDL 25.56

94.63%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.74 MDL 12.75

13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.45 MDL 7.74

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.02 MDL 17.59

143.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.42 MDL 24.36

162.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.70 MDL 29.20

11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.34 MDL 5.79

314.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.87 MDL 14.93

86.21%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.05 MDL 35.21

9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.31 MDL 177

92.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.12 MDL 70.7

-15.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.01 MDL 155

26.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.48 MDL 8.32

504.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.30 MDL 22.31

32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.09 MDL 18.76

108.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.20 MDL 20.56

77.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.48 MDL 8.25

206.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.37 MDL 6.28

283.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.38 MDL 40.90

-53.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.79 MDL 13.58

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.55 MDL 60.9

21.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.34 MDL 74.4

328.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.48 MDL 25.40

21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.79 MDL 30.66

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.34 MDL 5.82

561.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.80 MDL 30.89

72.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.39 MDL 6.77

176.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.69 MDL 63.4

4.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.47 MDL 25.25

-2.72%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.5K MDL 369.4K

25.34%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$141 MDL 2,424

-25.82%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$11.58 MDL 199

-1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$16.53 MDL 284

6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$14.73 MDL 253

268.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.03 MDL 69.1

93.05%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$49.14 MDL 843

29.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$17.49 MDL 300

66.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$35.46 MDL 609

171.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$68.8 MDL 1,181

30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$259 MDL 4,452

182.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$118 MDL 2,029

323.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$349 MDL 5,982

509.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$295 MDL 5,064

324.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,379 MDL 40.8K

48.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,738 MDL 29.8K

50.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $259 in Ungheni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Ungheni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $172 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, Getting Around. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,033 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: $733 in Phuket versus $259 in Ungheni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ungheni – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Ungheni versus $1,265 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 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.