Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kostroma

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,312 in Kostroma, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Kostroma despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Kostroma
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Kostroma Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Kostroma

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kostroma

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Kostroma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,312 in Kostroma, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Kostroma $1,312

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,085 in Kostroma, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Kostroma $2,085

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,859 in Kostroma, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Kostroma $2,859

Phuket is about 8% cheaper than Kostroma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Kostroma are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Kostroma 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$12.01 ₽1,002

-63.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$61.1 ₽5,102

-47.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.20 ₽601

21.67%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.91 ₽326

-27.62%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.62 ₽136

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.85 ₽71.1

-44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.80 ₽150

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.29 ₽441

-27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.24 ₽103

39.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.01 ₽84.3

45.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.68 ₽140

-10.12%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.88 ₽157

15.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$14.95 ₽1,248

31.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.93 ₽578

-51.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$14.95 ₽1,248

-25.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.17 ₽181

31.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.82 ₽152

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.98 ₽165

10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.96 ₽330

-48.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.89 ₽74.0

62.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.70 ₽58.7

97.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.65 ₽137

-35.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.93 ₽78.0

-45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.49 ₽291

22.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$12.31 ₽1,027

50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.22 ₽102

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.54 ₽212

12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.54 ₽45.15

318.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.62 ₽302

-16.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.34 ₽28.73

211.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$11.94 ₽996

-67.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.88 ₽73.3

64.77%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$42.4K ₽3.5M

-37.84%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$40.1K ₽3.3M

-32.84%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$191 ₽16.0K

-49.63%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$8.70 ₽726

26.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$9.88 ₽825

73.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$40.32 ₽3,365

29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$25.01 ₽2,087

-55.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$9.47 ₽791

-17.53%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$344 ₽28.7K

61.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,317 ₽527.2K

83.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$114 ₽9,511

-43.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$67.6 ₽5,645

-57.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$148 ₽12.3K

-35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$189 ₽15.8K

-53.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$500 ₽41.8K

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$340 ₽28.3K

36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$837 ₽69.9K

150.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$643 ₽53.6K

86.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

56.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,489 ₽124.3K

69.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$762 ₽63.6K

-34.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.56

-71.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kostroma: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Kostroma

$340 25.9% 26.6% $123

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Kostroma

$268 20.4% 0.2% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Kostroma

$210 16% 68.5% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kostroma

$233 17.8% 87.8% $109

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Kostroma

$194 14.8% 60.1% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Kostroma

$59 4.5% 12.6% $8.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Kostroma

$7.5 * 0.6% 81% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $500 in Kostroma. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 52% higher in Kostroma, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $61.0 in Kostroma. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Phuket vs $268 in Kostroma – so Kostroma wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Kostroma

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

16:19 4:19 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

277,393

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kostroma 7,380 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kostroma

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kostroma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kostroma costs about 9% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,968 in Kostroma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $61.0 in Kostroma. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Kostroma – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Kostroma at $1,312. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kostroma it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $1,312 in Kostroma. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kostroma makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.