Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Koh Samui

For one person, living costs are similar in Nizhny Novgorod and in Koh Samui: $1,232 and $1,176 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
Learn more

Nizhny Novgorod Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
Learn more

Koh Samui Living Index

Jump to prices

Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nizhny Novgorod and in Koh Samui

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nizhny Novgorod and in Koh Samui actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Nizhny Novgorod vs $1,176 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Nizhny Novgorod $1,232
Koh Samui $1,176

A couple spends around $1,855 per month in Nizhny Novgorod vs $1,957 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Nizhny Novgorod $1,855
Koh Samui $1,957

A family of three spends $2,479 per month in Nizhny Novgorod vs $2,737 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Nizhny Novgorod $2,479
Koh Samui $2,737

Nizhny Novgorod costs about 5% more than Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nizhny Novgorod and Koh Samui are more affordable than the global median – Nizhny Novgorod 9% lower, Koh Samui 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 ₽1,163

$4.58 ฿153

204.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 ₽4,420

$32.92 ฿1,100

60.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$8.45 ฿282

-16.45%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₽275

$2.82 ฿94.2

17.02%

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

$1.74 ₽145

$0.90 ฿30.10

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽58.2

$0.46 ฿15.49

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ₽156

$2.51 ฿84.0

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₽309

$3.78 ฿126

-2.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽99.6

$1.66 ฿55.5

-28.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 ₽68.2

$1.45 ฿48.46

-43.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ₽123

$1.52 ฿50.8

-3.29%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽134

$2.15 ฿71.9

-25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 ₽972

$19.60 ฿655

-40.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₽383

$3.39 ฿113

35.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₽1,132

$11.12 ฿372

21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$2.94 ฿98.4

-42.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.62 ฿54.2

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$2.24 ฿74.8

-21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 ₽306

$2.13 ฿71.3

71.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽57.1

$1.47 ฿49.15

-53.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽50.7

$1.36 ฿45.48

-55.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ₽107

$1.07 ฿35.70

19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.6

$0.52 ฿17.28

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₽247

$4.22 ฿141

-29.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 ₽682

$18.75 ฿627

-56.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽90.9

$1.74 ฿58.3

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₽196

$2.82 ฿94.1

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.56

$2.07 ฿69.1

-77.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ₽1,416

$44.70 ฿1,494

-62.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 ₽177

$3.20 ฿107

-33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ₽36.57

$1.11 ฿37.09

-60.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 ₽600

$3.87 ฿129

85.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.6

$1.51 ฿50.6

-46.36%

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

$42.4K ₽3.5M

$28.2K ฿942.7K

50.15%

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

$32.8K ₽2.7M

$27.8K ฿928.1K

17.97%

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

$144 ₽12.0K

$104 ฿3,459

39.09%

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

$7.12 ₽594

$11.87 ฿397

-40.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.03 ₽670

$18.04 ฿603

-55.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.72 ₽2,730

$54.4 ฿1,818

-39.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.32 ₽2,197

$11.61 ฿388

126.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₽603

$8.19 ฿274

-11.84%

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

$309 ₽25.8K

$603 ฿20.1K

-48.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,940 ₽579.2K

$12.6K ฿420.9K

-44.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 ₽5,781

$62.1 ฿2,075

11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₽4,531

$29.12 ฿973

86.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₽11.8K

$95.2 ฿3,180

48.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 ₽6,963

$87.0 ฿2,907

-4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ₽50.9K

$627 ฿21.0K

-2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 ₽35.7K

$397 ฿13.3K

7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 ₽72.0K

$1,778 ฿59.4K

-51.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₽51.3K

$1,032 ฿34.5K

-40.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 ₽273.7K

$2,979 ฿99.6K

10.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 ₽173.2K

$2,113 ฿70.6K

-1.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 ₽85.4K

$398 ฿13.3K

157.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.81

5.57

273.61%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8%

Koh Samui

$397 33.8% 7.3% $31

Groceries & Markets

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8%

Koh Samui

$268 22.8% 22.7% $50

Eating Out

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1%

Koh Samui

$121 10.3% 38.9% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9%

Koh Samui

$133 11.4% 16.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7%

Koh Samui

$123 10.5% 21.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8%

Koh Samui

$71 6% 50.1% $24

Getting Around

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9%

Koh Samui

$62 5.3% 167% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $610 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $627 in Koh Samui. 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 157% higher in Nizhny Novgorod, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Nizhny Novgorod vs $268 in Koh Samui – so Nizhny Novgorod wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

03:14 3:14 AM

4 h ahead of Nizhny Novgorod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,254

62,110

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nizhny Novgorod Koh Samui 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nizhny Novgorod
Koh Samui

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

Nizhny Novgorod vs Koh Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, $1,176 in Koh Samui – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Nizhny Novgorod and $1,764 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Nizhny Novgorod – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod and $33.00 in Koh Samui. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Samui, where all-in costs run around $1,176, than in Nizhny Novgorod at $1,232. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nizhny Novgorod it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,176 in Koh Samui to $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Koh Samui. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nizhny Novgorod makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.