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

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

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

Living in Ungheni costs roughly 46% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 MDL 134

$4.66 ฿154

67.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.12 MDL 397

$32.22 ฿1,065

-28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 MDL 121

$8.68 ฿287

-19.01%

Cappuccino

$1.49 MDL 25.56

$2.90 ฿95.8

-48.62%

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

$0.74 MDL 12.75

$0.84 ฿27.89

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MDL 7.74

$0.49 ฿16.16

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MDL 17.59

$2.48 ฿82.0

-58.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 24.36

$3.73 ฿123

-61.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MDL 29.20

$1.89 ฿62.3

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 MDL 5.79

$1.41 ฿46.54

-75.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 MDL 14.93

$1.62 ฿53.6

-46.30%

Eggs

$2.05 MDL 35.21

$2.24 ฿74.1

-8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MDL 177

$19.84 ฿656

-48.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 MDL 70.7

$3.48 ฿115

18.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.01 MDL 155

$11.37 ฿376

-20.76%

Apples (1kg)

$0.48 MDL 8.32

$2.90 ฿95.8

-83.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MDL 22.31

$1.72 ฿57.0

-24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 18.76

$2.27 ฿75.1

-51.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MDL 20.56

$2.13 ฿70.4

-43.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MDL 8.25

$1.47 ฿48.72

-67.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 MDL 6.28

$1.42 ฿46.92

-73.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 MDL 40.90

$1.10 ฿36.25

116.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MDL 13.58

$0.60 ฿19.76

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 MDL 60.9

$4.31 ฿142

-17.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 74.4

$18.60 ฿615

-76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MDL 25.40

$1.80 ฿59.5

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MDL 30.66

$2.97 ฿98.0

-39.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.82

$2.25 ฿74.2

-84.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 MDL 30.89

$3.10 ฿102

-41.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MDL 6.77

$1.08 ฿35.56

-63.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MDL 63.4

$3.87 ฿128

-4.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MDL 25.25

$1.43 ฿47.16

2.80%

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)

$21.5K MDL 369.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-20.22%

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

$141 MDL 2,424

$105 ฿3,462

34.81%

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

$11.58 MDL 199

$11.39 ฿376

1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.53 MDL 284

$17.54 ฿580

-5.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.73 MDL 253

$54.3 ฿1,795

-72.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 MDL 69.1

$7.78 ฿257

-48.20%

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)

$49.14 MDL 843

$63.6 ฿2,103

-22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.49 MDL 300

$29.10 ฿961

-39.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.46 MDL 609

$96.2 ฿3,179

-63.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MDL 1,181

$90.0 ฿2,974

-23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$259 MDL 4,452

$733 ฿24.2K

-64.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 MDL 2,029

$501 ฿16.5K

-76.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 MDL 5,982

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-83.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 MDL 5,064

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-76.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 MDL 40.8K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-32.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 MDL 29.8K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-33.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Ungheni: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

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

You'd need roughly $1,033 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: $259 in Ungheni versus $733 in Phuket. 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, 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 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.