Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kyiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kyiv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,013 in Kyiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,562 in Kyiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,111 in Kyiv.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kyiv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kyiv 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.13 ₴497

-60.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$33.91 ₴1,514

-4.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.66 ₴297

34.08%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.65 ₴73.6

75.76%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.78 ₴35.04

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.55 ₴24.69

-12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.37 ₴61.0

71.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.04 ₴91.0

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.36 ₴60.5

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.89 ₴39.88

65.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.48 ₴66.2

4.73%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.99 ₴88.8

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.28 ₴459

90.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.31 ₴237

-35.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.99 ₴401

26.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.20 ₴53.4

148.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.54 ₴68.6

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.82 ₴81.1

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.56 ₴114

-15.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.60 ₴26.83

153.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.45 ₴20.21

197.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.42 ₴63.3

-20.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.60 ₴26.88

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.43 ₴153

24.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.47 ₴244

248.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.96 ₴42.67

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.44 ₴64.1

93.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.57 ₴25.52

291.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.00 ₴491

106.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.22 ₴99.2

36.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.44 ₴19.47

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$4.49 ₴200

-13.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.67 ₴74.8

-10.78%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$30.1K ₴1.3M

-11.64%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.3K ₴1.2M

2.96%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$93.2 ₴4,161

9.92%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$6.76 ₴302

67.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.59 ₴294

164.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$34.37 ₴1,534

51.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$17.54 ₴783

-36.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.47 ₴244

40.59%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$398 ₴17.8K

40.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$14.6K ₴652.7K

-21.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$70.1 ₴3,129

-10.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$40.39 ₴1,803

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$93.0 ₴4,152

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$116 ₴5,200

-24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$639 ₴28.5K

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$361 ₴16.1K

33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,340 ₴59.8K

57.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$647 ₴28.9K

89.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,711 ₴121.0K

33.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,157 ₴51.6K

124.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$794 ₴35.5K

-37.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-69.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $639 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Kyiv. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $190, with Kyiv 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 Kyiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyiv is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Kyiv. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $639 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kyiv – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Kyiv versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kyiv but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kyiv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kyiv is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kyiv 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 Kyiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.