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 $962 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,478 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,994 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 6% lower, Kholmsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.62 ₽691

-52.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$38.12 ₽2,741

22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.87 ₽422

44.29%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.35 ₽169

28.94%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.11 ₽80.1

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.52 ₽37.37

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.43 ₽103

74.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.49 ₽179

46.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.16 ₽83.6

87.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.65 ₽46.64

192.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.36 ₽97.7

61.76%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.12 ₽152

4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.80 ₽777

85.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.83 ₽347

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.84 ₽636

49.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.81 ₽130

78.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.80 ₽130

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.92 ₽138

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.80 ₽201

-25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.79 ₽56.7

101.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.66 ₽47.43

124.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.37 ₽98.2

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.71 ₽51.2

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.97 ₽214

43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$8.62 ₽620

117.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.97 ₽69.7

81.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.93 ₽139

43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.53 ₽37.75

156.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.87 ₽134

67.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.35 ₽25.37

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.48 ₽466

112.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.73 ₽52.8

83.56%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$34.1K ₽2.4M

-18.77%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$36.2K ₽2.6M

-6.45%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$110 ₽7,908

12.36%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$5.79 ₽416

133.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$8.04 ₽578

132.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$35.18 ₽2,530

75.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.03 ₽362

81.71%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$330 ₽23.7K

112.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$7,024 ₽505.1K

125.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$70.7 ₽5,083

-15.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$44.37 ₽3,190

-20.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$113 ₽8,089

2.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$106 ₽7,604

-20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$440 ₽31.7K

40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$304 ₽21.9K

42.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$747 ₽53.7K

176.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$504 ₽36.2K

199.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,468 ₽177.4K

47.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,670 ₽120.1K

57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $440 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 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.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,443 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: $619 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 $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $962 in Kholmsk – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $962 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 $962 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.