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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $990 in Kyiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,494 in Kyiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,998 in Kyiv.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than Kyiv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kyiv 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.58 ₴380

-45.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$31.03 ₴1,376

46.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.14 ₴272

37.30%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.56 ₴69.3

87.82%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.68 ₴30.10

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.42 ₴18.54

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.08 ₴47.76

123.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.92 ₴85.0

93.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.24 ₴55.0

79.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.83 ₴36.75

120.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.83 ₴81.1

18.58%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.05 ₴90.7

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.87 ₴438

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.34 ₴192

-16.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.91 ₴351

71.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.03 ₴45.48

218.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.56 ₴69.0

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.79 ₴79.6

34.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.27 ₴100

-8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.86 ₴38.22

77.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.56 ₴24.83

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.43 ₴63.4

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.57 ₴25.36

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.98 ₴132

47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.81 ₴258

233.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.83 ₴36.94

114.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.57 ₴69.5

72.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.16 ₴7.22

756.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$9.60 ₴426

18.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.00 ₴88.8

51.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 ₴15.52

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.36 ₴193

223.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.42 ₴62.9

-4.23%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.7K ₴1.4M

-8.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.7K ₴1.1M

33.33%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$112 ₴4,946

9.12%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.59 ₴248

142.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.16 ₴317

155.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$37.24 ₴1,652

61.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$16.34 ₴725

4.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.80 ₴213

81.04%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$389 ₴17.3K

78.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,847 ₴348.0K

99.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$68.6 ₴3,042

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$36.29 ₴1,609

-4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$103 ₴4,565

11.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$112 ₴4,965

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$599 ₴26.5K

2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$357 ₴15.8K

22.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,293 ₴57.3K

61.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$617 ₴27.4K

144.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,609 ₴115.7K

43.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,119 ₴49.6K

133.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$770 ₴34.2K

-34.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

19.34

-72.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $599 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $179 per month, with Kyiv cheaper across the board.

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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kyiv earns 52% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $599 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% 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 $31.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $990 in Kyiv versus $1,265 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.