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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $970 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,492 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,015 in Kholmsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Kholmsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kholmsk 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$9.30 ₽722

-51.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$38.51 ₽2,990

20.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$5.59 ₽434

54.74%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.37 ₽184

30.38%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$1.07 ₽83.0

-36.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.52 ₽40.08

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$1.42 ₽110

70.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.62 ₽203

45.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.11 ₽86.5

96.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$0.65 ₽50.5

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$1.41 ₽110

54.61%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$2.15 ₽167

4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$10.87 ₽844

83.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$4.81 ₽373

-24.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$8.63 ₽670

57.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.82 ₽141

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.82 ₽141

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.89 ₽147

23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$2.66 ₽206

-23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.84 ₽65.0

90.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.66 ₽51.1

125.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$1.42 ₽110

-28.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.68 ₽52.8

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.89 ₽224

53.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$8.29 ₽643

124.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$0.94 ₽72.9

90.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$1.85 ₽144

51.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.49 ₽37.74

189.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.85 ₽144

67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.32 ₽25.14

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$6.33 ₽491

115.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.77 ₽60.0

70.13%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$33.7K ₽2.6M

-19.11%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.3K ₽2.7M

-5.90%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$109 ₽8,431

13.42%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$5.89 ₽457

134.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$7.99 ₽620

131.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$35.49 ₽2,756

70.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$4.95 ₽384

79.60%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$321 ₽24.9K

114.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$6,997 ₽543.2K

122.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$70.4 ₽5,465

-18.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$44.37 ₽3,445

-21.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$116 ₽9,038

-1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$105 ₽8,154

-19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$442 ₽34.4K

39.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$306 ₽23.8K

44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$774 ₽60.1K

164.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$506 ₽39.3K

197.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$2,366 ₽183.7K

50.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,345 ₽104.4K

86.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $442 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 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 30% 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.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,455 in Kholmsk to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $442 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $970 in Kholmsk – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $970 in Kholmsk versus $1,261 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 $970 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.