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 $923 in Ungheni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,666 in Ungheni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,409 in Ungheni.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.16 MDL 123

-34.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$30.56 MDL 525

48.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.76 MDL 98.9

46.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.47 MDL 25.29

99.32%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.71 MDL 12.19

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.39 MDL 6.77

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.44 MDL 24.66

67.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.43 MDL 24.54

160.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.29 MDL 22.13

72.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.45 MDL 7.68

306.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.00 MDL 17.18

117.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.16 MDL 37.16

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.55 MDL 130

161.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.98 MDL 68.3

-8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.76 MDL 116

100.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.56 MDL 9.53

485.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.50 MDL 25.81

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.73 MDL 29.78

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.36 MDL 23.28

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.54 MDL 9.35

183.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.33 MDL 5.74

348.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.36 MDL 23.28

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.48 MDL 8.18

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.15 MDL 54.1

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$4.38 MDL 75.3

342.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.14 MDL 19.65

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.35 MDL 23.21

100.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.34 MDL 5.76

302.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.71 MDL 29.44

76.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.25 MDL 4.27

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.49 MDL 77.2

214.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.24 MDL 21.24

9.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$32.6K MDL 559.1K

-13.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.9K MDL 531.0K

6.39%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$167 MDL 2,861

-26.97%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.73 MDL 133

75.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$10.66 MDL 183

71.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$20.83 MDL 358

189.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.03 MDL 69.2

115.63%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$395 MDL 6,778

75.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$7,623 MDL 130.9K

105.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$43.67 MDL 750

36.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$21.84 MDL 375

59.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$39.71 MDL 682

188.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$110 MDL 1,885

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$940 MDL 16.1K

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$367 MDL 6,294

19.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,488 MDL 25.5K

40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,247 MDL 21.4K

21.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,361 MDL 40.5K

58.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,752 MDL 30.1K

49.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $940 in Ungheni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Ungheni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $149 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,384 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: $613 in Phuket versus $940 in Ungheni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $395 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $923 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 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.