Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Irkutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,013 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
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Irkutsk Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Irkutsk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Irkutsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,013 in Irkutsk.

Phuket $1,190
Irkutsk $1,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,501 in Irkutsk.

Phuket $2,006
Irkutsk $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,988 in Irkutsk.

Phuket $2,822
Irkutsk $1,988

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Irkutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Irkutsk 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$7.18 ₽611

-39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$32.58 ₽2,772

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$5.81 ₽494

44.92%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$3.03 ₽258

-7.26%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.60 ₽136

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.65 ₽55.1

-29.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.69 ₽229

-3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$4.04 ₽344

-9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.20 ₽102

42.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.64 ₽54.5

126.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.22 ₽189

-29.73%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$1.59 ₽135

32.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$11.69 ₽995

67.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$6.04 ₽514

-43.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$11.24 ₽956

-0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$1.89 ₽161

49.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.99 ₽169

-18.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.75 ₽149

26.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$3.47 ₽295

-38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$0.72 ₽61.4

106.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$0.69 ₽58.6

92.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.79 ₽152

-40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.65 ₽55.6

-21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$2.70 ₽230

62.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$7.17 ₽610

161.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.02 ₽86.7

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.90 ₽162

46.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.57 ₽48.62

280.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$15.79 ₽1,344

41.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.19 ₽102

153.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$0.18 ₽14.94

488.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$8.91 ₽758

-58.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$0.79 ₽66.8

81.01%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$29.0K ₽2.5M

-9.17%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$36.8K ₽3.1M

-28.81%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$118 ₽10.0K

-17.81%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$5.84 ₽497

95.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$11.41 ₽971

49.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$34.35 ₽2,923

53.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$21.13 ₽1,798

-47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$6.64 ₽565

15.21%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$294 ₽25.0K

88.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$3,121 ₽265.6K

261.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$58.7 ₽4,992

8.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$23.42 ₽1,993

22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$100 ₽8,516

-3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$113 ₽9,642

-21.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$438 ₽37.2K

67.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$309 ₽26.3K

48.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$750 ₽63.8K

180.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$432 ₽36.8K

174.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$2,712 ₽230.8K

28.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$1,807 ₽153.7K

37.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$752 ₽64.0K

-33.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.57

-77.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Irkutsk

$309 30.7% 32.5% $149

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Irkutsk

$220 21.9% 17.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Irkutsk

$135 13.4% 7.7% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Irkutsk

$133 13.2% 6.5% $8.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Irkutsk

$142 14.1% 18.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Irkutsk

$48 4.7% 30% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Irkutsk

$20 2% 48.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $438 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk pays 50% 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 $33.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $220, with Irkutsk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

617,515

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Irkutsk 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Irkutsk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Irkutsk. 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: $735 in Phuket versus $438 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $294 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Irkutsk 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 Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.