Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
Learn more

Makhachkala Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Makhachkala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Makhachkala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Makhachkala $2,115

Phuket costs about 20% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Makhachkala are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Makhachkala 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$10.20 ₽851

-55.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$31.73 ₽2,648

2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.48 ₽457

56.02%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.65 ₽221

2.64%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.17 ₽98.0

-19.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.61 ₽51.1

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.94 ₽162

33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.94 ₽246

30.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.10 ₽91.6

58.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.71 ₽58.9

101.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.41 ₽118

8.51%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.53 ₽127

41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.99 ₽917

74.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.39 ₽450

-38.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$11.03 ₽921

1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.70 ₽142

73.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.75 ₽146

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.75 ₽146

31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.78 ₽232

-23.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.81 ₽67.4

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.61 ₽51.1

122.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.23 ₽103

-8.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.74 ₽61.8

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.33 ₽278

27.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$7.92 ₽661

129.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.10 ₽91.4

58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.02 ₽168

38.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.54 ₽44.80

311.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.70 ₽225

7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.40 ₽33.48

152.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.71 ₽477

-32.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.84 ₽70.2

77.38%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-34.88%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-28.49%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$110 ₽9,172

-9.57%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$5.49 ₽458

105.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$8.44 ₽705

105.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$35.62 ₽2,973

46.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$23.57 ₽1,967

-53.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.13 ₽512

23.49%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$348 ₽29.1K

60.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,288 ₽441.3K

117.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$80.1 ₽6,688

-21.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$54.1 ₽4,518

-47.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$102 ₽8,539

-6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$112 ₽9,353

-21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$460 ₽38.4K

58.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$315 ₽26.3K

45.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$891 ₽74.4K

135.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$556 ₽46.4K

119.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

55.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,492 ₽124.5K

66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$622 ₽51.9K

-20.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.45

-74.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Makhachkala

$315 31.2% 31.5% $145

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Makhachkala

$206 20.4% 23.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Makhachkala

$124 12.3% 3.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Makhachkala

$157 15.6% 26.5% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Makhachkala

$153 15.1% 25.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Makhachkala

$48 4.8% 29% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7% 82.4% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $460 in Makhachkala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Makhachkala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $32.00 in Makhachkala. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $206 in Makhachkala – so Makhachkala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

11:41 11:41 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

604,266

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Makhachkala 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Makhachkala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $348 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.