Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kholmsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kholmsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $966 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,479 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,993 in Kholmsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than Kholmsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kholmsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.57 ₽718

-51.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$37.48 ₽2,813

23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.87 ₽441

47.87%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.28 ₽171

29.39%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.13 ₽84.7

-38.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.48 ₽35.96

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.41 ₽106

79.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.60 ₽195

45.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.11 ₽83.3

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.69 ₽52.1

160.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.44 ₽108

52.08%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.19 ₽164

5.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.76 ₽807

79.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.84 ₽363

-22.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.77 ₽658

50.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.81 ₽136

83.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.89 ₽142

-12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.92 ₽144

19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.76 ₽207

-27.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.84 ₽63.1

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.67 ₽50.5

125.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.34 ₽101

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.67 ₽50.5

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.96 ₽222

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.85 ₽589

147.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.03 ₽77.2

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.88 ₽141

42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.53 ₽39.86

169.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.85 ₽139

64.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 ₽26.55

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.26 ₽470

118.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.74 ₽55.3

75.68%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$34.3K ₽2.6M

-18.75%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.1K ₽2.6M

-5.94%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$110 ₽8,246

11.90%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$6.03 ₽452

129.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$8.02 ₽602

135.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$35.90 ₽2,694

70.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.94 ₽371

79.55%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$318 ₽23.8K

119.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,051 ₽529.1K

127.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$71.1 ₽5,338

-16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$44.95 ₽3,373

-22.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$115 ₽8,644

-1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$107 ₽8,055

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$440 ₽33.0K

39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$301 ₽22.6K

49.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$776 ₽58.2K

168.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$509 ₽38.2K

193.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$997 ₽74.8K

274.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,522 ₽114.2K

74.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$596 ₽44.7K

-10.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.33

-70.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $440 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kholmsk pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $37 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $199 per month, with Kholmsk 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 Kholmsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kholmsk wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kholmsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kholmsk earns 12% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $440 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $966 in Kholmsk – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Kholmsk versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kholmsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kholmsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kholmsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $966 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kholmsk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kholmsk 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 Kholmsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.