Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Noril'sk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Noril'sk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $995 in Noril'sk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,545 in Noril'sk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,094 in Noril'sk.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Noril'sk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$9.50 ₽799

-50.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$38.17 ₽3,208

-15.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.14 ₽516

41.37%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.33 ₽196

24.46%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.19 ₽100

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.56 ₽46.97

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.65 ₽139

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.19 ₽268

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.05 ₽88.4

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.65 ₽55.0

116.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.19 ₽100

36.13%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.40 ₽118

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.41 ₽791

110.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.94 ₽415

-29.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.91 ₽749

27.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.57 ₽132

84.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.53 ₽129

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.81 ₽152

25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.39 ₽200

-10.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.78 ₽65.5

88.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.59 ₽50.0

140.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.41 ₽118

-21.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.61 ₽51.7

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.45 ₽206

75.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.78 ₽569

174.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.09 ₽91.7

65.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.04 ₽171

45.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.55 ₽45.83

309.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.06 ₽173

50.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.34 ₽28.44

217.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.57 ₽384

-15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.86 ₽72.5

66.28%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$31.0K ₽2.6M

-10.40%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$28.7K ₽2.4M

-5.95%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$125 ₽10.5K

-16.06%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$5.82 ₽489

95.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$8.88 ₽746

97.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$30.75 ₽2,584

76.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$25.29 ₽2,126

-54.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.22 ₽439

49.04%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$305 ₽25.7K

88.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$5,910 ₽496.8K

95.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$74.3 ₽6,247

-14.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$43.10 ₽3,623

-32.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$130 ₽10.9K

-25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$104 ₽8,702

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$392 ₽32.9K

87.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$297 ₽24.9K

68.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$713 ₽59.9K

198.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$565 ₽47.5K

121.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,417 ₽203.1K

46.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,291 ₽108.5K

103.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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 6, 2026

Last update for Noril'sk: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $392 in Noril'sk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Noril'sk. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $183, with Noril'sk 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 Noril'sk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noril'sk wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Noril'sk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,493 in Noril'sk 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: $733 in Phuket versus $392 in Noril'sk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $995 in Noril'sk – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $995 in Noril'sk versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Noril'sk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Noril'sk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Noril'sk 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 Noril'sk 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.