Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barnaul Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barnaul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $980 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,448 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,915 in Barnaul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Barnaul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Barnaul 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.75 ₽993

-62.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$39.78 ₽3,361

-18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.84 ₽493

52.91%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.51 ₽212

15.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.74 ₽62.9

18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.58 ₽48.89

-17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.16 ₽97.7

102.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.38 ₽117

169.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.02 ₽86.3

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.57 ₽48.56

157.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.44 ₽122

7.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.60 ₽135

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.58 ₽978

69.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.89 ₽413

-30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.29 ₽954

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.89 ₽159

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.59 ₽134

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.85 ₽156

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.09 ₽177

3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.37 ₽31.36

310.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.49 ₽41.62

173.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.29 ₽24.44

289.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.39 ₽33.01

41.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.07 ₽259

38.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.41 ₽795

102.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.93 ₽78.3

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.39 ₽117

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.55 ₽46.67

305.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$25.82 ₽2,182

-11.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.51 ₽128

100.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.48 ₽40.72

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.88 ₽497

-33.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.78 ₽66.1

91.03%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$23.3K ₽2.0M

13.88%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$33.5K ₽2.8M

-19.42%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$112 ₽9,476

-8.64%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$5.23 ₽442

116.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$8.87 ₽750

96.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$17.56 ₽1,484

-36.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.24 ₽359

81.37%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$358 ₽30.3K

56.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$14.2K ₽1.2M

-19.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$35.29 ₽2,982

78.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.89 ₽2,525

-1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$128 ₽10.8K

-23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$97.0 ₽8,194

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$415 ₽35.0K

77.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$329 ₽27.8K

46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$568 ₽48.0K

270.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$440 ₽37.2K

178.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,924 ₽162.5K

88.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,533 ₽129.6K

69.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$612 ₽51.7K

-19.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

22.83

-75.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $415 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnaul pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Barnaul. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $192, with Barnaul 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 Barnaul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barnaul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Barnaul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $415 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $980 in Barnaul – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $980 in Barnaul versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barnaul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Barnaul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barnaul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $980 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barnaul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Barnaul 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 Barnaul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.