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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $987 in Kyiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,511 in Kyiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,035 in Kyiv.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kyiv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.44 ₴377

-46.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$31.33 ₴1,399

47.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.88 ₴263

50.34%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.55 ₴69.4

97.42%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.66 ₴29.63

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.46 ₴20.48

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.10 ₴49.18

120.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.82 ₴81.1

107.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.28 ₴57.3

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.82 ₴36.42

120.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.84 ₴82.1

22.28%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.96 ₴87.7

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.77 ₴436

99.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.55 ₴203

-19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.67 ₴343

70.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.02 ₴45.43

216.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.55 ₴69.3

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.84 ₴82.1

29.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.24 ₴100

-9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.80 ₴35.90

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.55 ₴24.37

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.36 ₴60.9

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.55 ₴24.44

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.92 ₴131

52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.73 ₴256

219.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.83 ₴37.04

124.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.54 ₴68.7

74.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.20 ₴8.85

605.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$9.85 ₴440

18.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.02 ₴90.3

53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.34 ₴15.39

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.47 ₴200

215.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.37 ₴61.0

-4.38%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$30.8K ₴1.4M

-9.60%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.0K ₴1.1M

33.07%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$111 ₴4,973

9.97%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.75 ₴257

136.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.16 ₴320

161.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.46 ₴1,718

57.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$16.20 ₴723

4.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.95 ₴221

83.23%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$375 ₴16.8K

88.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,864 ₴351.3K

100.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$68.5 ₴3,062

-14.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$35.38 ₴1,580

-0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$103 ₴4,593

12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$116 ₴5,183

-27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$602 ₴26.9K

3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$351 ₴15.7K

26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,325 ₴59.2K

53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$619 ₴27.7K

140.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,672 ₴119.4K

30.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,175 ₴52.5K

119.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$765 ₴34.2K

-34.67%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $602 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $178 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $602 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Kyiv versus $1,250 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.