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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $971 in Noril'sk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Noril'sk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,035 in Noril'sk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Noril'sk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Noril'sk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.47 ₽681

-51.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$38.57 ₽2,773

20.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.82 ₽419

45.53%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.29 ₽164

32.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.12 ₽80.8

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.52 ₽37.67

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.37 ₽98.6

81.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.60 ₽187

40.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.16 ₽83.4

87.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.66 ₽47.29

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.42 ₽102

54.93%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.77 ₽127

25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$11.03 ₽793

81.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.74 ₽341

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.72 ₽627

51.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.82 ₽131

77.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.83 ₽132

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.92 ₽138

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.70 ₽194

-22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.80 ₽57.6

98.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.71 ₽51.3

108.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.42 ₽102

-27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.66 ₽47.41

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.86 ₽206

48.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$7.57 ₽544

148.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.93 ₽67.1

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.94 ₽140

42.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.53 ₽38.00

156.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.85 ₽133

69.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.33 ₽23.59

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.40 ₽460

115.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.77 ₽55.2

74.03%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$34.0K ₽2.4M

-18.61%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$35.6K ₽2.6M

-4.88%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$107 ₽7,716

15.17%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$5.98 ₽430

126.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$7.94 ₽571

135.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$35.39 ₽2,544

74.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$4.99 ₽359

83.17%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$328 ₽23.6K

114.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$7,014 ₽504.3K

126.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$71.2 ₽5,121

-16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$44.82 ₽3,223

-21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$112 ₽8,086

2.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$106 ₽7,612

-20.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$440 ₽31.6K

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$310 ₽22.3K

39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$774 ₽55.6K

166.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$516 ₽37.1K

192.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,698 ₽194.0K

35.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,770 ₽127.3K

48.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Noril'sk: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $440 in Noril'sk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Noril'sk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 per month, with Noril'sk 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 Noril'sk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noril'sk wins on cost – living expenses run 30% 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 $1,892 in Phuket and $1,456 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: $619 in Phuket versus $440 in Noril'sk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $971 in Noril'sk – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $971 in Noril'sk versus $1,261 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 $971 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.