Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Moscow $1,922
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Moscow $2,941
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Moscow $3,960
Phuket $3,154

Moscow costs about 50% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 41% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,008

$4.47 ฿151

179.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,939

$32.41 ฿1,094

88.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽617

$8.81 ฿297

-13.17%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.83 ฿95.5

35.69%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$0.87 ฿29.43

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.49 ฿16.67

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽390

$2.56 ฿86.4

88.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$3.68 ฿124

40.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.66 ฿56.0

-20.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.0

$1.46 ฿49.35

-28.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.50 ฿50.6

18.00%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$2.09 ฿70.5

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,216

$19.07 ฿644

-20.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽553

$3.30 ฿111

107.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,233

$10.91 ฿368

40.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$2.93 ฿99.0

-26.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.69 ฿57.1

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$2.25 ฿75.8

-9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽334

$2.08 ฿70.1

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.0

$1.51 ฿51.0

-37.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.0

$1.38 ฿46.56

-44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.07 ฿35.99

57.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.3

$0.52 ฿17.52

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$4.20 ฿142

-11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽986

$18.79 ฿634

-34.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.82 ฿61.5

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.84 ฿95.9

-3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$1.45 ฿49.03

-33.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,494

$56.7 ฿1,913

-23.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$3.02 ฿102

21.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

$1.02 ฿34.36

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽994

$3.69 ฿125

234.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$1.47 ฿49.81

-34.69%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

69.47%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

54.35%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$96.4 ฿3,254

106.36%

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

$9.04 ₽729

$11.26 ฿380

-19.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽810

$16.85 ฿569

-40.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

$67.2 ฿2,270

-33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

$10.73 ฿362

341.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

$7.50 ฿253

28.40%

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

$898 ₽72.4K

$476 ฿16.1K

88.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

160.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,411

$62.4 ฿2,106

87.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,595

$28.41 ฿959

144.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$94.3 ฿3,184

62.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$85.8 ฿2,898

118.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

114.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.4K

$491 ฿16.6K

75.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.2K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

62.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.1K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

8.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽845.5K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

151.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

63.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.0K

$502 ฿17.0K

258.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

5.57

251.53%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 42.9% $369

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 2.9% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 48.6% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 42.9% $93

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 43.1% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 28.9% $18

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 28.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $716 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 in Moscow are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Moscow versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

4 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moscow Phuket 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
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

Moscow vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 50% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Moscow and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Moscow. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $898 per month in Moscow and $476 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 Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Moscow at $1,922. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,922 in Moscow. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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