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: $776 in Vulcanesti versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in Vulcanesti versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in Vulcanesti versus $2,822 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 42% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 MDL 120

$4.35 ฿146

55.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.34 MDL 521

$32.45 ฿1,093

-9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 MDL 191

$8.42 ฿283

28.03%

Cappuccino

$1.16 MDL 20.54

$2.81 ฿94.5

-58.72%

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

$0.81 MDL 14.31

$0.87 ฿29.46

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.43

$0.46 ฿15.48

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MDL 20.25

$2.59 ฿87.0

-55.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MDL 25.61

$3.64 ฿123

-60.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 MDL 17.25

$1.71 ฿57.5

-43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 MDL 8.34

$1.45 ฿48.69

-67.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MDL 30.89

$1.56 ฿52.5

11.54%

Eggs

$2.21 MDL 39.19

$2.10 ฿70.7

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.92 MDL 123

$19.53 ฿657

-64.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 MDL 84.7

$3.40 ฿114

40.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.21 MDL 146

$11.14 ฿375

-26.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 MDL 21.62

$2.83 ฿95.4

-56.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MDL 30.71

$1.62 ฿54.6

6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MDL 32.46

$2.22 ฿74.9

-17.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MDL 31.95

$2.15 ฿72.3

-16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 MDL 11.74

$1.49 ฿50.2

-55.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 MDL 5.82

$1.33 ฿44.65

-75.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 MDL 38.73

$1.07 ฿35.92

103.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 MDL 7.35

$0.51 ฿17.10

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 MDL 58.9

$4.38 ฿148

-24.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.49 MDL 44.16

$18.77 ฿632

-86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MDL 15.59

$1.74 ฿58.6

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 21.50

$2.78 ฿93.5

-56.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MDL 6.24

$2.17 ฿73.0

-83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿750

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MDL 20.36

$3.02 ฿102

-61.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 MDL 2.83

$1.06 ฿35.63

-84.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 MDL 61.4

$3.71 ฿125

-6.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MDL 23.00

$1.43 ฿48.16

-9.09%

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

$23.7K MDL 420.2K

$26.3K ฿887.1K

-10.20%

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

$21.2K MDL 376.2K

$26.2K ฿882.3K

-19.16%

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

$108 MDL 1,911

$96.7 ฿3,254

11.31%

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

$5.22 MDL 92.7

$11.41 ฿384

-54.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.82 MDL 103

$17.11 ฿576

-65.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.73 MDL 297

$52.8 ฿1,778

-68.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 MDL 139

$7.65 ฿258

2.35%

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

$111 MDL 1,979

$555 ฿18.7K

-79.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 MDL 95.0K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-52.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.55 MDL 543

$63.4 ฿2,135

-51.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 MDL 449

$28.61 ฿963

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MDL 1,480

$96.7 ฿3,256

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 MDL 2,547

$88.6 ฿2,983

61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 MDL 4,992

$735 ฿24.7K

-61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MDL 3,988

$458 ฿15.4K

-50.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 MDL 4,960

$1,187 ฿40.0K

-76.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$859 MDL 15.3K

$3,493 ฿117.6K

-75.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$859 MDL 15.3K

$2,491 ฿83.9K

-65.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 MDL 12.8K

$501 ฿16.9K

43.38%

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: October 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Vulcanesti and $735 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vulcanesti pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Vulcanesti vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $268 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 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $281 in Vulcanesti versus $735 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Vulcanesti versus $555 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 $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $776 in Vulcanesti versus $1,190 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 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.