Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaluga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaluga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $790 in Kaluga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,228 in Kaluga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Kaluga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Kaluga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kaluga 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.56 ₽442

-19.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$22.22 ₽1,769

105.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.00 ₽398

75.20%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.08 ₽165

42.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.31 ₽105

-47.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.52 ₽41.18

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.43 ₽114

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.07 ₽245

22.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.05 ₽83.6

104.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.67 ₽53.5

171.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.48 ₽117

47.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.71 ₽136

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.12 ₽646

146.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.84 ₽305

-5.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.52 ₽598

80.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.85 ₽147

75.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.68 ₽133

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.91 ₽152

21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.14 ₽250

-34.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.77 ₽61.6

101.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.66 ₽52.9

121.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$3.16 ₽251

-68.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.64 ₽51.3

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.86 ₽228

52.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.93 ₽710

107.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.73 ₽57.8

154.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.95 ₽155

35.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.45 ₽36.16

215.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$18.75 ₽1,492

-38.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.76 ₽299

-15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.11 ₽8.53

836.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.25 ₽498

122.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.73 ₽58.3

83.56%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.7K ₽2.8M

-19.81%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$35.8K ₽2.9M

-6.79%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$76.3 ₽6,071

61.31%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.72 ₽456

140.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$4.97 ₽396

268.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$35.23 ₽2,804

72.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.71 ₽614

15.05%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$354 ₽28.2K

94.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,934 ₽551.9K

127.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$72.8 ₽5,794

-18.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$38.27 ₽3,046

-9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$114 ₽9,076

1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$75.8 ₽6,030

10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$254 ₽20.2K

144.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$198 ₽15.8K

125.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$445 ₽35.4K

357.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$338 ₽26.9K

343.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,587 ₽126.3K

117.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,364 ₽108.6K

85.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$799 ₽63.6K

-38.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.5

-63.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $254 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Kaluga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $188 per month, with Kaluga 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 Kaluga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kaluga differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $790 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Kaluga. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $254 in Kaluga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kaluga runs roughly 62% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $354 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $790 in Kaluga versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaluga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kaluga 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 Kaluga 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 Kaluga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.