Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makhachkala 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 Makhachkala and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,009
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,562
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,115 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Makhachkala $2,115
Phuket $2,867

Makhachkala is about 16% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makhachkala and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Makhachkala 25% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₽851

$4.58 ฿153

122.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ₽2,648

$32.48 ฿1,086

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 ₽457

$8.55 ฿286

-35.91%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₽221

$2.72 ฿91.0

-2.57%

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

$1.17 ₽98.0

$0.94 ฿31.25

24.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$0.49 ฿16.39

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₽162

$2.59 ฿86.6

-25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₽246

$3.83 ฿128

-23.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.6

$1.74 ฿58.1

-36.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$1.43 ฿47.82

-50.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₽118

$1.53 ฿51.0

-7.84%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽127

$2.17 ฿72.7

-29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₽917

$19.15 ฿640

-42.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 ₽450

$3.30 ฿110

63.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ₽921

$11.14 ฿372

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$2.95 ฿98.5

-42.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.68 ฿56.1

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$2.30 ฿76.8

-23.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₽232

$2.13 ฿71.3

30.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$1.53 ฿51.1

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$1.36 ฿45.55

-55.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.12 ฿37.44

9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.8

$0.55 ฿18.24

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₽278

$4.26 ฿142

-21.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₽661

$18.19 ฿608

-56.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽91.4

$1.74 ฿58.2

-36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽168

$2.79 ฿93.3

-27.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽44.80

$2.22 ฿74.1

-75.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ₽225

$2.91 ฿97.3

-7.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.48

$1.01 ฿33.79

-60.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 ₽477

$3.83 ฿128

49.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.2

$1.49 ฿49.85

-43.62%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

53.56%

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

$37.4K ₽3.1M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

39.84%

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

$110 ₽9,172

$99.4 ฿3,321

10.59%

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

$5.49 ₽458

$11.28 ฿377

-51.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.44 ₽705

$17.36 ฿580

-51.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 ₽2,973

$52.3 ฿1,747

-31.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.57 ₽1,967

$10.85 ฿362

117.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ₽512

$7.57 ฿253

-19.02%

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

$348 ₽29.1K

$558 ฿18.7K

-37.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,288 ₽441.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-53.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 ₽6,688

$62.9 ฿2,102

27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 ₽4,518

$28.58 ฿955

89.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₽8,539

$96.1 ฿3,213

6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₽9,353

$88.1 ฿2,943

27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$729 ฿24.4K

-36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ₽26.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

-31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₽74.4K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-57.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₽46.4K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-54.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₽185.8K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-35.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 ₽124.5K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-40.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 ₽51.9K

$493 ฿16.5K

26.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

5.57

285.10%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makhachkala

$315 31.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 46% $145

Groceries & Markets

Makhachkala

$206 20.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 30.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Makhachkala

$157 15.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 20.9% $33

Eating Out

Makhachkala

$153 15.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 20.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makhachkala

$124 12.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 3.4% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Makhachkala

$48 4.8%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 40.8% $20

Getting Around

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 468% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Makhachkala versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Makhachkala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Makhachkala versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $268 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

4 h ahead of Makhachkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

604,266

79,308

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makhachkala Phuket 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Makhachkala
Phuket

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makhachkala vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,513 per month in Makhachkala and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,009 in Makhachkala and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Makhachkala and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.