Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arzamas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arzamas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $982 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,501 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,021 in Arzamas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Arzamas 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.38 ₽705

-50.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$37.81 ₽2,840

23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.79 ₽435

52.68%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.30 ₽173

30.43%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.08 ₽80.9

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.48 ₽36.03

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.43 ₽107

70.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.49 ₽187

44.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.10 ₽82.4

105.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.70 ₽52.3

162.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.37 ₽103

63.50%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.71 ₽129

35.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.03 ₽828

78.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.72 ₽355

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.02 ₽677

45.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.82 ₽136

86.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.86 ₽140

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.91 ₽144

26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.80 ₽210

-27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.86 ₽64.5

81.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.66 ₽49.66

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.42 ₽106

-28.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.66 ₽49.35

-25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.89 ₽217

53.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.59 ₽495

186.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.95 ₽71.5

87.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.95 ₽146

41.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.49 ₽36.83

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.85 ₽139

68.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.35 ₽26.56

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.52 ₽490

116.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.76 ₽57.2

77.63%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.5K ₽2.6M

-21.30%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K ₽2.6M

-6.35%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$108 ₽8,077

16.22%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.83 ₽438

132.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.60 ₽571

143.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.09 ₽2,636

75.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.19 ₽390

77.07%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$322 ₽24.2K

116.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,020 ₽527.3K

122.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$69.3 ₽5,208

-16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$43.57 ₽3,273

-19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$113 ₽8,485

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$106 ₽7,971

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$451 ₽33.9K

36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$303 ₽22.7K

47.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$774 ₽58.1K

164.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$506 ₽38.0K

195.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,156 ₽162.0K

75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,336 ₽100.4K

98.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $451 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $195 per month, with Arzamas 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

Phuket vs Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Arzamas differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $982 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,472 in Arzamas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $451 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $982 in Arzamas – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $982 in Arzamas versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arzamas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Arzamas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Arzamas 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 Arzamas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.