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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $999 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,536 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,073 in Kholmsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kholmsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kholmsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$9.56 ₽804

-51.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$38.59 ₽3,243

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.87 ₽493

47.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.61 ₽219

11.11%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.95 ₽79.9

-11.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.66 ₽55.8

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.87 ₽158

32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.16 ₽266

18.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.96 ₽80.5

96.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.78 ₽65.3

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.19 ₽99.8

36.13%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.52 ₽128

47.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.74 ₽819

103.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.58 ₽469

-37.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.99 ₽1,007

-5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.96 ₽164

47.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.79 ₽150

-3.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.98 ₽166

14.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.38 ₽200

-10.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.81 ₽68.3

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.62 ₽52.2

129.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.40 ₽118

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.79 ₽66.5

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.01 ₽253

43.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.65 ₽643

143.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.10 ₽92.6

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.10 ₽176

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.50 ₽42.42

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.46 ₽207

26.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.35 ₽29.78

208.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.60 ₽387

-15.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.77 ₽65.0

85.71%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$27.9K ₽2.3M

-0.46%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$30.5K ₽2.6M

-11.59%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$129 ₽10.9K

-18.84%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.96 ₽417

129.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$9.16 ₽770

91.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$33.83 ₽2,844

60.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$25.92 ₽2,178

-55.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.51 ₽463

41.20%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$349 ₽29.4K

64.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$5,894 ₽495.4K

96.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$58.4 ₽4,912

8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$40.14 ₽3,374

-27.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$110 ₽9,210

-12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$82.8 ₽6,961

8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$393 ₽33.0K

86.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$316 ₽26.5K

58.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$677 ₽56.9K

213.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$572 ₽48.1K

118.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,134 ₽179.4K

65.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,398 ₽117.5K

87.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-73.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $393 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Kholmsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $205, with Kholmsk cheaper for home cooking.

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 27% 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 $1,898 in Phuket and $1,499 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: $733 in Phuket versus $393 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $999 in Kholmsk – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $999 in Kholmsk versus $1,265 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 $999 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.