Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Magadan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Magadan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $995 in Magadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,564 in Magadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,133 in Magadan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Magadan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Magadan 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.78 ₽911

-59.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$36.19 ₽3,058

-10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.81 ₽491

53.70%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.69 ₽228

7.81%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.18 ₽99.7

-25.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.59 ₽50.2

-18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.84 ₽155

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.52 ₽213

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.16 ₽97.9

61.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.71 ₽59.9

107.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.38 ₽116

12.32%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.46 ₽123

43.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$10.92 ₽923

79.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.91 ₽415

-30.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$11.51 ₽972

-1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.71 ₽145

74.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.76 ₽149

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.71 ₽144

29.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.09 ₽261

-30.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.70 ₽59.4

117.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.58 ₽48.88

131.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.21 ₽103

-6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.81 ₽68.6

-32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.78 ₽235

53.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.32 ₽703

129.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.00 ₽84.4

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.85 ₽156

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.51 ₽42.74

337.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.32 ₽196

30.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.33 ₽28.16

209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$5.91 ₽499

-34.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.86 ₽73.0

73.26%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$35.6K ₽3.0M

-25.29%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$32.5K ₽2.7M

-16.84%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$116 ₽9,816

-11.78%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$6.59 ₽557

71.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$7.71 ₽651

125.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$30.74 ₽2,598

69.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$21.06 ₽1,780

-47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.82 ₽492

32.13%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$345 ₽29.1K

62.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$6,079 ₽513.7K

89.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$69.8 ₽5,898

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$42.10 ₽3,558

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$117 ₽9,904

-16.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$105 ₽8,893

-15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$434 ₽36.7K

70.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$274 ₽23.1K

76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$762 ₽64.4K

176.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$536 ₽45.3K

128.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,570 ₽217.2K

40.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,503 ₽127.0K

73.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-73.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Magadan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $434 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Magadan. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $206, with Magadan 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 Magadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,492 in Magadan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $434 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $345 in Magadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Magadan – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $995 in Magadan versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Magadan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Magadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Magadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $995 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Magadan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Magadan 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 Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.