Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nizhny Novgorod Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nizhny Novgorod

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,091 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,762 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,432 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Nizhny Novgorod, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.42 ₽827

-60.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$37.85 ₽2,743

23.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$5.74 ₽416

47.91%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.60 ₽188

18.46%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.29 ₽93.5

-47.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.45 ₽32.97

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.03 ₽74.8

135.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.15 ₽229

15.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.04 ₽75.5

110.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.61 ₽43.91

196.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.30 ₽94.3

71.54%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.55 ₽112

44.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.38 ₽753

88.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.83 ₽350

-22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$8.71 ₽631

54.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.74 ₽126

93.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.73 ₽125

-6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.93 ₽140

24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.43 ₽176

-18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.70 ₽50.6

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.70 ₽51.0

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.25 ₽90.4

-19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.72 ₽52.5

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.97 ₽215

43.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.39 ₽753

84.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.17 ₽85.1

57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.17 ₽157

26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.53 ₽38.56

167.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$17.27 ₽1,251

-32.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.94 ₽140

54.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.56 ₽40.50

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$7.52 ₽545

84.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.78 ₽56.4

65.38%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$42.0K ₽3.0M

-33.18%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$32.1K ₽2.3M

4.27%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$111 ₽8,074

9.47%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$5.55 ₽402

150.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$7.49 ₽543

151.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$31.57 ₽2,288

94.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$16.34 ₽1,184

3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.52 ₽472

36.35%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$337 ₽24.4K

105.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,951 ₽286.3K

309.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$81.3 ₽5,889

-28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$77.2 ₽5,592

-54.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$147 ₽10.6K

-22.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$111 ₽8,037

-25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$587 ₽42.6K

3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$373 ₽27.0K

20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$993 ₽72.0K

104.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$731 ₽52.9K

104.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$4,230 ₽306.5K

-15.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,656 ₽192.5K

-2.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$913 ₽66.1K

-44.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.46

-67.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $587 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nizhny Novgorod pays 81% 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 $38.00 in Nizhny Novgorod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $196 per month, with Nizhny Novgorod 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 Nizhny Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nizhny Novgorod is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Nizhny Novgorod earns 81% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $587 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $337 in Nizhny Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,091 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nizhny Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nizhny Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nizhny Novgorod 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 Nizhny Novgorod 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 Nizhny Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.