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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,084 in Magadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,723 in Magadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,362 in Magadan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than Magadan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Magadan 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$9.28 ₽672

-50.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$64.0 ₽4,639

-27.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.73 ₽415

47.82%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.13 ₽227

-3.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.53 ₽111

-54.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.07 ₽77.4

-65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.41 ₽102

76.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.52 ₽183

45.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.59 ₽115

37.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.05 ₽76.2

80.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.49 ₽108

47.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.96 ₽214

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$14.62 ₽1,059

36.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.18 ₽665

-60.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$16.02 ₽1,161

-17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.79 ₽130

80.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$3.44 ₽249

-50.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.12 ₽226

-23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.76 ₽200

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.36 ₽98.8

16.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.17 ₽85.0

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.90 ₽65.4

14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.20 ₽86.9

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.20 ₽232

32.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$12.81 ₽929

46.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.03 ₽74.5

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.56 ₽185

7.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.00 ₽72.4

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.56 ₽113

101.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.33 ₽23.78

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.30 ₽456

118.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.76 ₽55.4

76.32%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$34.7K ₽2.5M

-20.34%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$36.1K ₽2.6M

-6.11%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$110 ₽7,970

12.36%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.94 ₽430

127.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.68 ₽556

143.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$35.72 ₽2,588

73.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.18 ₽375

76.45%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$322 ₽23.3K

118.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,965 ₽504.7K

127.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$71.2 ₽5,161

-16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$43.78 ₽3,172

-19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$113 ₽8,179

2.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$108 ₽7,789

-21.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$444 ₽32.1K

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$303 ₽22.0K

42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$771 ₽55.9K

167.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$513 ₽37.2K

194.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,098 ₽79.5K

-53.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Magadan: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $444 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Magadan pays 117% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $298 per month, with Phuket 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 Magadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 16% 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.

On paper, Magadan earns 117% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $444 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $322 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 $64.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,084 in Magadan versus $1,261 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 $1,084 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.