Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurgan: $615 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kurgan, Russia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Kurgan
🇷🇺 Russia
$615
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kurgan

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 Kurgan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $615 in Kurgan, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Kurgan $615

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $991 in Kurgan, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Kurgan $991

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,368 in Kurgan, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Kurgan $1,368

Phuket costs about 108% more than Kurgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Kurgan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kurgan 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$8.42 ₽678
-46.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$29.14 ₽2,347
11.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$5.43 ₽437
62.25%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.74 ₽220
3.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$1.18 ₽95.0
-26.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.59 ₽47.90
-16.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$3.76 ₽303
-31.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.98 ₽401
-26.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.14 ₽91.7
45.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$0.86 ₽69.4
69.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.21 ₽97.7
23.97%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.47 ₽118
42.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$10.98 ₽885
73.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.99 ₽402
-33.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$11.78 ₽949
-7.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.96 ₽158
49.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.84 ₽148
-8.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.13 ₽172
5.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.79 ₽225
-25.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.89 ₽71.8
69.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.77 ₽62.2
79.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.83 ₽147
-41.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.53 ₽43.02
-1.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.89 ₽233
45.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$6.68 ₽538
181.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$0.96 ₽77.0
89.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.91 ₽154
48.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.49 ₽39.07
195.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.45 ₽197
23.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.63 ₽51.0
61.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$7.30 ₽588
-49.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$0.87 ₽70.4
68.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$54.3K ₽4.4M
-50.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$42.0K ₽3.4M
-36.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$97.1 ₽7,820
-0.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$7.08 ₽570
59.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$9.48 ₽764
77.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.24 ₽342
76.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$99.8 ₽8,040
-37.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$31.02 ₽2,498
-8.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$93.2 ₽7,505
1.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$55.1 ₽4,438
55.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kurgan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,004 ₽80.8K
-49.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
20.32
-72.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kurgan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Kurgan
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Kurgan
$207 22.2% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Kurgan
$114 8.7% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Kurgan
$126 3.1% $3.7
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Kurgan
$152 25.2% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Kurgan
$8.5 * 89.7% $74
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Kurgan
$7.6 * 89.3% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 100% higher in Kurgan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $29 in Kurgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $207 – making Kurgan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇷🇺 Kurgan
🕒 Local time
07:55 7:55 AM
05:55 5:55 AM
2 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
309,285
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kurgan 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kurgan

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 Kurgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kurgan cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $922 in Kurgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Kurgan?
Groceries cost about 28% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Kurgan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $29 in Kurgan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Kurgan?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kurgan, where all-in costs run around $615, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kurgan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Kurgan?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $615 in Kurgan to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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