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 $1,003 in Kurgan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,555 in Kurgan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,107 in Kurgan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 23% more than Kurgan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kurgan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Kurgan 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.19 ₽465

-25.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$45.14 ₽3,390

3.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.65 ₽424

56.46%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.28 ₽171

31.58%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.27 ₽95.8

-41.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.39 ₽29.49

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.92 ₽69.4

165.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.95 ₽147

85.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.03 ₽77.2

119.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.56 ₽42.36

228.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.39 ₽104

61.15%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.32 ₽99.5

75.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.19 ₽766

93.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.18 ₽540

-49.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.30 ₽849

15.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.84 ₽138

84.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.04 ₽153

-19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.05 ₽154

17.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.61 ₽271

-43.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.07 ₽80.6

45.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.80 ₽60.1

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.58 ₽43.73

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 ₽43.64

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.57 ₽193

73.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.73 ₽505

180.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.94 ₽70.8

89.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.71 ₽129

60.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.52 ₽39.18

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.85 ₽139

68.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.35 ₽26.53

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.20 ₽391

170.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.78 ₽58.7

73.08%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$62.4K ₽4.7M

-56.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.0K ₽2.4M

2.74%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$137 ₽10.3K

-8.74%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.03 ₽378

169.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.65 ₽575

142.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.13 ₽2,714

70.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.80 ₽285

141.84%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$439 ₽33.0K

59.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,379 ₽328.9K

256.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$26.24 ₽1,971

120.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$16.54 ₽1,242

113.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$164 ₽12.3K

-30.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$187 ₽14.0K

-53.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$453 ₽34.0K

35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$305 ₽22.9K

46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$749 ₽56.3K

173.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$513 ₽38.6K

190.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$680 ₽51.0K

-22.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.45

-60.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kurgan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $453 in Kurgan. 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 30% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $45.00 in Kurgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $211 – 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 23%, 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 $1,505 in Kurgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $1,003 in Kurgan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $439 in Kurgan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kurgan, where all-in costs run around $1,003, 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.