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 $1,011 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,597 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,182 in Arzamas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Arzamas 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.66 ₽901

-58.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$31.71 ₽2,679

1.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.90 ₽583

29.42%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.42 ₽205

19.83%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.04 ₽87.6

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.56 ₽47.00

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.91 ₽162

23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.14 ₽265

18.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.17 ₽98.6

59.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.75 ₽63.3

96.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.25 ₽105

24.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.37 ₽116

53.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.29 ₽869

90.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.12 ₽433

-33.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.12 ₽855

12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.70 ₽144

75.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.59 ₽134

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.65 ₽139

33.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.76 ₽234

-21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.69 ₽58.0

120.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.61 ₽51.8

119.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.41 ₽119

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.66 ₽55.9

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.16 ₽267

34.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.78 ₽657

145.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.05 ₽89.1

69.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.05 ₽173

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.49 ₽41.65

355.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.40 ₽203

26.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.28 ₽23.96

264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.20 ₽524

-37.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.85 ₽72.1

75.29%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$30.0K ₽2.5M

-11.51%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.7K ₽2.8M

-17.41%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$114 ₽9,661

-10.39%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$6.21 ₽524

82.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$8.09 ₽684

115.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$38.88 ₽3,285

33.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$22.50 ₽1,901

-50.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.12 ₽432

50.20%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$289 ₽24.4K

93.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,150 ₽604.1K

60.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$65.5 ₽5,533

-3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$56.6 ₽4,782

-47.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$112 ₽9,447

-12.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$94.1 ₽7,946

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$298 ₽25.2K

147.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$317 ₽26.8K

52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$481 ₽40.6K

338.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$568 ₽48.0K

115.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,219 ₽187.5K

62.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,399 ₽118.2K

86.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-73.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $298 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Arzamas. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $197, with Arzamas cheaper for home cooking.

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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,011 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 $1,516 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: $738 in Phuket versus $298 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% 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 $1,011 in Arzamas – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.