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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $954 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,466 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,978 in Arzamas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Arzamas 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.35 ₽745

-52.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$37.43 ₽2,979

21.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.73 ₽456

52.88%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.25 ₽179

32.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.12 ₽88.8

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.51 ₽40.67

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.40 ₽112

80.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.49 ₽198

50.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.12 ₽88.8

91.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.65 ₽52.1

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.37 ₽109

59.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.70 ₽135

32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.80 ₽859

85.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.92 ₽391

-26.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.71 ₽693

55.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.72 ₽137

88.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.88 ₽150

-12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.98 ₽157

17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.71 ₽215

-23.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.83 ₽66.2

86.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.66 ₽52.9

121.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.40 ₽112

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.72 ₽57.3

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.85 ₽227

52.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.46 ₽514

187.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.01 ₽80.0

84.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.88 ₽150

40.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.53 ₽42.05

167.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.91 ₽152

65.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.33 ₽26.23

212.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.51 ₽518

113.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.77 ₽61.3

74.03%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$33.9K ₽2.7M

-17.97%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$35.4K ₽2.8M

-5.59%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$107 ₽8,553

14.51%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.82 ₽463

136.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.94 ₽632

130.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$35.86 ₽2,854

69.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.11 ₽407

73.58%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$325 ₽25.9K

111.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,044 ₽560.7K

124.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$70.2 ₽5,587

-15.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$45.06 ₽3,586

-23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$114 ₽9,058

1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$106 ₽8,408

-20.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$448 ₽35.6K

38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$300 ₽23.9K

48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$758 ₽60.3K

168.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$501 ₽39.9K

198.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,008 ₽159.8K

72.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,434 ₽114.1K

76.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $448 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $194 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $954 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,431 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: $621 in Phuket versus $448 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 $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $954 in Arzamas – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Arzamas versus $1,264 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.