Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novokuznetsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novokuznetsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,015 in Novokuznetsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,702 in Novokuznetsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,389 in Novokuznetsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than in Novokuznetsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Novokuznetsk 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.68 ₽818

-54.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$47.00 ₽3,971

-31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.49 ₽548

37.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.49 ₽211

16.47%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.09 ₽92.0

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.50 ₽41.92

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.15 ₽97.2

104.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.40 ₽202

55.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.15 ₽96.9

62.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.72 ₽61.0

104.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.39 ₽118

11.51%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.56 ₽132

34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.58 ₽894

85.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.01 ₽423

-31.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.51 ₽888

8.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.04 ₽173

46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.68 ₽142

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.14 ₽181

3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.78 ₽319

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.86 ₽72.7

76.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.57 ₽48.47

135.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.89 ₽75.5

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.78 ₽65.5

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.14 ₽265

35.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.84 ₽494

226.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.33 ₽112

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.02 ₽255

-7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.55 ₽46.25

305.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$29.47 ₽2,490

-22.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.82 ₽154

66.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.60 ₽50.9

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.26 ₽698

-52.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.83 ₽70.3

79.52%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$26.0K ₽2.2M

2.37%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$27.8K ₽2.3M

-2.64%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$142 ₽12.0K

-27.90%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$5.87 ₽496

93.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$7.04 ₽595

147.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$50.2 ₽4,239

3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$29.46 ₽2,489

-62.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.89 ₽497

30.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$692 ₽58.5K

-19.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$16.8K ₽1.4M

-31.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$64.3 ₽5,435

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$51.4 ₽4,345

-42.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$95.8 ₽8,093

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$95.7 ₽8,085

-7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$448 ₽37.9K

64.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$301 ₽25.4K

60.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$949 ₽80.2K

122.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$669 ₽56.6K

83.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,151 ₽181.7K

68.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,466 ₽123.8K

77.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$553 ₽46.7K

-10.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

23.67

-76.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $448 in Novokuznetsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novokuznetsk pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Novokuznetsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $208, with Novokuznetsk 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 Novokuznetsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Novokuznetsk differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,015 including rent). Novokuznetsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Novokuznetsk. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $448 in Novokuznetsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Novokuznetsk – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,015 in Novokuznetsk – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,015 in Novokuznetsk versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novokuznetsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Novokuznetsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Novokuznetsk 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 Novokuznetsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.