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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $799 in Kaluga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,209 in Kaluga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,618 in Kaluga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than Kaluga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kaluga 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.79 ₽419

-21.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.87 ₽1,584

113.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.00 ₽362

69.40%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.01 ₽146

50.75%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.34 ₽97.4

-48.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.53 ₽38.05

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.37 ₽99.6

81.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.02 ₽219

21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.06 ₽76.6

105.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.68 ₽49.45

179.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.55 ₽112

41.94%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.64 ₽119

35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.50 ₽616

135.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.80 ₽275

-3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.49 ₽542

76.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.93 ₽140

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.70 ₽123

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.87 ₽136

27.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.11 ₽225

-33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.73 ₽52.7

117.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.72 ₽52.4

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$3.18 ₽231

-67.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.64 ₽46.62

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.01 ₽218

41.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.43 ₽684

99.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.78 ₽56.5

125.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.92 ₽139

43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.46 ₽33.35

195.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$19.29 ₽1,398

-41.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.89 ₽282

-19.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.11 ₽8.24

845.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.27 ₽454

119.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.78 ₽56.3

71.79%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$34.7K ₽2.5M

-20.35%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$36.1K ₽2.6M

-6.31%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$77.3 ₽5,598

59.99%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.57 ₽403

142.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$4.98 ₽361

275.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$35.84 ₽2,597

72.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.57 ₽549

20.74%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$355 ₽25.7K

98.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,992 ₽506.7K

126.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$73.4 ₽5,316

-18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$38.83 ₽2,813

-9.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$116 ₽8,410

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$75.4 ₽5,460

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$257 ₽18.6K

140.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$194 ₽14.1K

122.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$451 ₽32.6K

357.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$332 ₽24.1K

354.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,718 ₽124.5K

112.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,423 ₽103.1K

84.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$872 ₽63.2K

-41.89%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $257 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 72% 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 $22.00 in Kaluga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $191 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $799 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaluga earns 72% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $257 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 70% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $355 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $799 in Kaluga versus $1,261 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.