Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ungheni: $647 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Ungheni
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Ungheni Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Ungheni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$647

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ungheni and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ungheni and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Ungheni versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Ungheni $647
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,013 in Ungheni versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Ungheni $1,013
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,378 in Ungheni versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Ungheni $1,378
Phuket $3,154

Living in Ungheni costs roughly 49% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ungheni 52% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.17 MDL 128

$4.47 ฿151

60.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.35 MDL 399

$32.41 ฿1,094

-31.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 MDL 118

$8.81 ฿297

-25.09%

Cappuccino

$1.36 MDL 24.36

$2.83 ฿95.5

-51.94%

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

$0.70 MDL 12.54

$0.87 ฿29.43

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MDL 8.43

$0.49 ฿16.67

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MDL 17.38

$2.56 ฿86.4

-62.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.10

$3.68 ฿124

-63.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MDL 30.70

$1.66 ฿56.0

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 MDL 5.63

$1.46 ฿49.35

-78.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 MDL 15.49

$1.50 ฿50.6

-42.00%

Eggs

$1.93 MDL 34.45

$2.09 ฿70.5

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 MDL 177

$19.07 ฿644

-47.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 MDL 71.3

$3.30 ฿111

20.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MDL 150

$10.91 ฿368

-22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$0.43 MDL 7.70

$2.93 ฿99.0

-85.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MDL 21.68

$1.69 ฿57.1

-28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MDL 18.49

$2.25 ฿75.8

-53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 MDL 20.32

$2.08 ฿70.1

-45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 MDL 7.75

$1.51 ฿51.0

-71.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 MDL 5.67

$1.38 ฿46.56

-76.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 MDL 39.46

$1.07 ฿35.99

106.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MDL 14.57

$0.52 ฿17.52

57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 MDL 58.8

$4.20 ฿142

-21.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 MDL 76.8

$18.79 ฿634

-77.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 MDL 24.55

$1.82 ฿61.5

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MDL 30.61

$2.84 ฿95.9

-39.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 6.12

$1.45 ฿49.03

-76.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 MDL 29.43

$3.02 ฿102

-45.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MDL 7.18

$1.02 ฿34.36

-60.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 MDL 63.1

$3.69 ฿125

-4.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MDL 25.21

$1.47 ฿49.81

-4.08%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$20.2K MDL 360.0K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-24.43%

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

$139 MDL 2,478

$96.4 ฿3,254

44.10%

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

$11.09 MDL 198

$11.26 ฿380

-1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 MDL 283

$16.85 ฿569

-5.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.86 MDL 247

$67.2 ฿2,270

-79.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$3.86 MDL 68.8

$7.50 ฿253

-48.53%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.75 MDL 852

$62.4 ฿2,106

-23.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.92 MDL 302

$28.41 ฿959

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.66 MDL 601

$94.3 ฿3,184

-64.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.5 MDL 1,187

$85.8 ฿2,898

-22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 MDL 4,534

$716 ฿24.2K

-64.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 MDL 1,951

$491 ฿16.6K

-77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 MDL 5,867

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-82.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 MDL 4,931

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-80.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,220 MDL 39.6K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-46.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,644 MDL 29.3K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-46.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 MDL 10.1K

$502 ฿17.0K

12.73%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ungheni

$166 25.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 24.9% $41

Groceries & Markets

Ungheni

$165 25.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 61.1% $101

Accommodation & Living

Ungheni

$109 16.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 349% $382

Eating Out

Ungheni

$106 16.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ungheni

$74 11.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 64.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Ungheni

$22 3.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 281% $61

Getting Around

Ungheni

$5 * 0.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 1303% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Ungheni and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ungheni pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22 in Ungheni vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $266 per month, with Ungheni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Ungheni

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

5 h ahead of Ungheni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.6 USD). 1 EUR = 19.87 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ungheni Phuket 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ungheni
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, transport, and leisure. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Ungheni, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $254 in Ungheni versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% 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 $22 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $647 in Ungheni versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.