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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $954 in Noril'sk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,482 in Noril'sk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,010 in Noril'sk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Noril'sk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Noril'sk 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.79 ₽735

-52.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$37.64 ₽2,824

23.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.67 ₽426

53.09%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.27 ₽170

29.96%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.08 ₽80.9

-35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.51 ₽38.63

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.38 ₽103

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.61 ₽196

44.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.12 ₽83.7

98.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.71 ₽53.2

153.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.38 ₽104

58.70%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.77 ₽133

30.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.75 ₽807

79.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$5.00 ₽375

-24.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.89 ₽667

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.75 ₽131

90.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.87 ₽140

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$2.00 ₽150

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.71 ₽203

-26.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.78 ₽58.6

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.66 ₽49.82

128.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.34 ₽101

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.66 ₽49.44

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.86 ₽215

54.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.91 ₽594

145.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.94 ₽70.6

91.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.95 ₽147

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.53 ₽39.99

169.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.89 ₽142

60.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.33 ₽24.44

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.39 ₽479

114.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.79 ₽59.0

64.56%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$33.7K ₽2.5M

-17.27%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$36.0K ₽2.7M

-8.14%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$109 ₽8,192

12.65%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$6.12 ₽459

125.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.69 ₽577

145.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$35.45 ₽2,660

72.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.20 ₽390

70.58%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$320 ₽24.0K

117.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,062 ₽530.0K

127.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$69.1 ₽5,187

-14.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$44.83 ₽3,364

-22.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$116 ₽8,722

-2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$107 ₽8,008

-20.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$443 ₽33.2K

39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$307 ₽23.0K

46.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$770 ₽57.8K

170.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$515 ₽38.7K

190.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,010 ₽150.8K

85.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,534 ₽115.1K

73.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Noril'sk: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $443 in Noril'sk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $38 in Noril'sk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $198 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 33% 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 $1,904 in Phuket and $1,431 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: $615 in Phuket versus $443 in Noril'sk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $954 in Noril'sk – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Noril'sk versus $1,270 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 $954 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.