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 $970 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,522 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,073 in Barnaul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Barnaul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Barnaul 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.52 ₽565

-38.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$32.40 ₽2,434

44.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$4.93 ₽370

79.31%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.78 ₽209

7.91%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.28 ₽95.9

-42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.59 ₽44.19

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.87 ₽140

30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.60 ₽196

38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.09 ₽82.1

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.47 ₽35.28

291.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.69 ₽127

32.54%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.65 ₽124

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$10.85 ₽815

81.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.19 ₽390

-29.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$9.93 ₽746

31.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.06 ₽155

64.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.87 ₽141

-12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.93 ₽145

24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$2.87 ₽216

-29.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.75 ₽56.3

108.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.66 ₽49.81

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$1.03 ₽77.2

-0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.48 ₽35.74

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.73 ₽205

63.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$6.30 ₽473

199.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$0.92 ₽68.8

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.25 ₽93.9

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.52 ₽39.25

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$20.37 ₽1,531

-43.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.92 ₽144

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₽18.14

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$2.97 ₽224

374.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$0.76 ₽57.0

77.63%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$20.1K ₽1.5M

35.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.8K ₽2.0M

22.89%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$104 ₽7,830

19.92%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$5.42 ₽407

150.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$8.69 ₽653

113.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$20.05 ₽1,506

206.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$7.49 ₽563

124.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$5.63 ₽423

63.23%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$342 ₽25.7K

104.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$3,899 ₽292.9K

299.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$58.6 ₽4,401

-1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$31.72 ₽2,383

11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$69.0 ₽5,184

63.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$66.0 ₽4,955

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$532 ₽40.0K

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$375 ₽28.1K

19.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$1,027 ₽77.2K

99.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$714 ₽53.6K

109.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$2,140 ₽160.8K

76.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,806 ₽135.7K

46.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$572 ₽43.0K

-8.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.03

-64.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $532 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnaul pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $194 per month, with Barnaul 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 Barnaul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 27% 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, Barnaul earns 9% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $532 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 $970 in Barnaul – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 77% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $970 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 $970 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.