Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $987 in Kyiv versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,511 in Kyiv versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,035 in Kyiv versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kyiv costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 ₴377

$4.55 ฿153

85.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.33 ₴1,399

$46.18 ฿1,553

-32.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₴263

$8.84 ฿297

-33.48%

Cappuccino

$1.55 ₴69.4

$3.06 ฿103

-49.35%

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

$0.66 ₴29.63

$0.73 ฿24.40

-9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₴20.48

$0.40 ฿13.39

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₴49.18

$2.43 ฿81.8

-54.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₴81.1

$3.78 ฿127

-51.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₴57.3

$2.26 ฿76.0

-43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 ₴36.42

$1.81 ฿60.9

-54.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ₴82.1

$2.25 ฿75.8

-18.22%

Eggs

$1.96 ₴87.7

$2.25 ฿75.5

-12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ₴436

$19.51 ฿656

-49.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 ₴203

$3.65 ฿123

24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₴343

$13.05 ฿439

-41.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 ₴45.43

$3.23 ฿109

-68.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₴69.3

$1.62 ฿54.4

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₴82.1

$2.38 ฿80.1

-22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₴100

$2.03 ฿68.1

10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₴35.90

$1.53 ฿51.6

-47.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₴24.37

$1.50 ฿50.5

-63.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₴60.9

$0.98 ฿32.91

38.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₴24.44

$0.52 ฿17.39

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₴131

$4.44 ฿149

-34.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 ₴256

$18.32 ฿616

-68.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₴37.04

$1.86 ฿62.7

-55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₴68.7

$2.68 ฿90.1

-42.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₴8.85

$1.41 ฿47.46

-85.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 ₴440

$11.70 ฿393

-15.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ₴90.3

$3.11 ฿105

-35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₴15.39

$1.04 ฿35.06

-67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 ₴200

$14.11 ฿474

-68.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₴61.0

$1.31 ฿44.10

4.58%

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

$30.8K ₴1.4M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

10.62%

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

$25.0K ₴1.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-24.85%

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

$111 ₴4,973

$122 ฿4,118

-9.07%

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

$5.75 ₴257

$13.59 ฿457

-57.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₴320

$18.70 ฿629

-61.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 ₴1,718

$60.5 ฿2,034

-36.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₴723

$16.98 ฿571

-4.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₴221

$9.07 ฿305

-45.42%

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

$375 ₴16.8K

$706 ฿23.8K

-46.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 ₴351.3K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-50.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 ₴3,062

$58.6 ฿1,969

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 ₴1,580

$35.36 ฿1,189

0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₴4,593

$115 ฿3,883

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₴5,183

$83.7 ฿2,816

38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 ₴26.9K

$626 ฿21.0K

-3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₴15.7K

$445 ฿15.0K

-21.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 ₴59.2K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-35.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₴27.7K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-58.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,672 ₴119.4K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-23.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,175 ₴52.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-54.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$765 ₴34.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

53.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.34

5.33

262.85%

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

Last update for Kyiv: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Kyiv and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kyiv vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $289 per month, with Kyiv 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

Kyiv vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyiv is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Kyiv, 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: $602 in Kyiv versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kyiv – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Kyiv versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kyiv but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kyiv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kyiv 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, Kyiv 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 Kyiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.