Cost of Living Comparison Between Vulcanesti and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vulcanesti and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Vulcanesti versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Vulcanesti versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,575 in Vulcanesti versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Vulcanesti costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vulcanesti 41% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 MDL 121

$4.43 ฿145

60.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.99 MDL 509

$35.07 ฿1,151

-14.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 MDL 186

$8.96 ฿294

22.10%

Cappuccino

$1.19 MDL 20.22

$3.00 ฿98.4

-60.33%

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

$0.79 MDL 13.37

$0.77 ฿25.33

2.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.30

$0.47 ฿15.44

-8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 MDL 20.11

$2.40 ฿78.6

-50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 24.13

$3.75 ฿123

-62.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 MDL 16.19

$1.82 ฿59.8

-47.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MDL 8.73

$1.42 ฿46.65

-64.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MDL 30.08

$1.55 ฿50.8

14.19%

Eggs

$2.25 MDL 38.23

$2.13 ฿69.9

5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 MDL 121

$19.76 ฿648

-63.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 MDL 80.1

$3.48 ฿114

35.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 MDL 151

$11.09 ฿364

-19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 MDL 21.91

$2.91 ฿95.5

-55.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MDL 29.92

$1.66 ฿54.6

6.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MDL 32.34

$2.27 ฿74.5

-16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MDL 32.43

$2.10 ฿68.8

-9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 MDL 11.31

$1.47 ฿48.24

-54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 MDL 6.24

$1.41 ฿46.29

-73.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 MDL 37.74

$1.09 ฿35.78

103.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 MDL 6.73

$0.54 ฿17.58

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 MDL 58.2

$4.48 ฿147

-23.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.56 MDL 43.45

$18.72 ฿614

-86.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.22

$1.84 ฿60.4

-51.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MDL 22.13

$2.95 ฿96.7

-55.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.75

$2.26 ฿74.1

-84.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 MDL 20.03

$3.04 ฿99.9

-61.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 MDL 2.75

$1.09 ฿35.82

-85.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 MDL 59.6

$3.82 ฿125

-8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MDL 22.47

$1.49 ฿48.79

-11.41%

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

$24.2K MDL 410.5K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-11.90%

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

$21.3K MDL 361.4K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-22.65%

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

$107 MDL 1,815

$102 ฿3,340

4.97%

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

$5.32 MDL 90.4

$11.28 ฿370

-52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.93 MDL 101

$17.75 ฿582

-66.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.13 MDL 291

$54.2 ฿1,777

-68.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 MDL 131

$7.85 ฿258

-1.66%

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

$117 MDL 1,980

$577 ฿18.9K

-79.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,431 MDL 92.2K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-53.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.41 MDL 533

$65.4 ฿2,144

-51.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.33 MDL 447

$28.89 ฿948

-8.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 MDL 1,455

$99.1 ฿3,250

-13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 MDL 2,445

$90.3 ฿2,961

59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 MDL 4,883

$756 ฿24.8K

-61.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 MDL 4,035

$487 ฿16.0K

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 MDL 4,952

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-75.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$907 MDL 15.4K

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-74.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$880 MDL 14.9K

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-66.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 MDL 12.4K

$502 ฿16.5K

45.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.57

34.65%

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

Last update for Vulcanesti: August 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in Vulcanesti and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vulcanesti pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Vulcanesti vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $272 per month, with Vulcanesti 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

Vulcanesti vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vulcanesti is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Vulcanesti, 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: $288 in Vulcanesti versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $117 in Vulcanesti versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vulcanesti – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $813 in Vulcanesti versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vulcanesti but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vulcanesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vulcanesti 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, Vulcanesti 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 Vulcanesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.