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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Ungheni versus $1,265 in Phuket.

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

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

Living in Ungheni costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.16 MDL 123

$4.70 ฿153

52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.56 MDL 525

$45.37 ฿1,482

-32.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 MDL 99.0

$8.43 ฿275

-31.67%

Cappuccino

$1.47 MDL 25.32

$2.93 ฿95.6

-49.83%

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

$0.71 MDL 12.20

$0.69 ฿22.40

2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.78

$0.37 ฿11.99

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 MDL 24.69

$2.41 ฿78.6

-40.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MDL 24.57

$3.72 ฿122

-61.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.15

$2.23 ฿72.9

-42.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 7.69

$1.83 ฿59.8

-75.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 MDL 17.20

$2.17 ฿70.8

-53.92%

Eggs

$2.16 MDL 37.20

$2.21 ฿72.3

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 MDL 130

$19.74 ฿645

-61.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 MDL 68.4

$3.63 ฿119

9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MDL 116

$13.53 ฿442

-50.04%

Apples (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.54

$3.28 ฿107

-82.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 25.84

$1.61 ฿52.6

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MDL 29.81

$2.41 ฿78.6

-28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MDL 23.31

$2.08 ฿68.1

-34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.36

$1.53 ฿49.93

-64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 MDL 5.74

$1.48 ฿48.36

-77.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MDL 23.31

$0.99 ฿32.29

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MDL 8.19

$0.51 ฿16.67

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 MDL 54.1

$4.41 ฿144

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 MDL 75.4

$19.38 ฿633

-77.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MDL 19.67

$1.78 ฿58.1

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 23.24

$2.71 ฿88.6

-50.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.77

$1.37 ฿44.79

-75.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 MDL 29.48

$3.02 ฿98.6

-43.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.27

$0.99 ฿32.48

-74.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MDL 77.3

$14.10 ฿461

-68.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MDL 21.27

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.82%

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

$32.6K MDL 559.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

15.47%

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

$30.9K MDL 531.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-6.01%

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

$167 MDL 2,865

$122 ฿3,975

36.93%

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

$7.73 MDL 133

$13.57 ฿443

-43.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.66 MDL 183

$18.31 ฿598

-41.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.83 MDL 358

$60.2 ฿1,967

-65.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 MDL 69.3

$8.69 ฿284

-53.62%

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

$395 MDL 6,786

$693 ฿22.6K

-43.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,623 MDL 131.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-51.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.67 MDL 751

$59.5 ฿1,944

-26.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.84 MDL 376

$34.77 ฿1,136

-37.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.71 MDL 683

$115 ฿3,743

-65.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MDL 1,887

$83.3 ฿2,720

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MDL 16.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

53.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MDL 6,302

$437 ฿14.3K

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 MDL 25.6K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MDL 21.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-17.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,361 MDL 40.6K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-37.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,752 MDL 30.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-33.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

50.09%

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

Last update for Ungheni: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $31.00 in Ungheni vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $149 vs $293 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

Ungheni vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ungheni is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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

Childcare runs $395 in Ungheni versus $693 in Phuket. 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, Ungheni and Phuket 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.