Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurgan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurgan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $565 in Kurgan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $916 in Kurgan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,267 in Kurgan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 118% more than Kurgan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kurgan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Kurgan 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.13 ₽687

-45.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$28.54 ₽2,411

13.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.44 ₽460

64.15%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.70 ₽228

7.41%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.15 ₽97.5

-23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.62 ₽52.1

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.66 ₽309

-35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.63 ₽391

-19.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.11 ₽93.6

68.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.83 ₽70.0

77.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.05 ₽89.1

47.62%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.17 ₽98.6

79.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.69 ₽819

102.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.82 ₽407

-29.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.60 ₽811

18.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.68 ₽142

77.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.66 ₽140

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.83 ₽154

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.13 ₽180

1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.62 ₽52.7

145.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.55 ₽46.80

143.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.49 ₽126

-24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.55 ₽46.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.66 ₽225

60.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.02 ₽509

217.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.81 ₽68.1

119.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.87 ₽158

48.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.47 ₽39.62

374.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.41 ₽204

25.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.56 ₽47.54

82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.25 ₽612

-46.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.76 ₽64.5

96.05%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$29.1K ₽2.5M

-8.74%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$29.4K ₽2.5M

-8.02%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$78.2 ₽6,610

30.99%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.87 ₽411

132.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$8.26 ₽698

110.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.18 ₽354

83.97%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$95.1 ₽8,034

-33.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$30.09 ₽2,543

-1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$88.1 ₽7,441

11.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$53.9 ₽4,557

64.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$933 ₽78.8K

-47.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.34

-72.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kurgan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 89% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $29.00 in Kurgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $182 – making Kurgan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 118%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $848 in Kurgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $29.00 in Kurgan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kurgan, where all-in costs run around $565, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Kurgan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kurgan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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