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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $962 in Novokuznetsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,491 in Novokuznetsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,019 in Novokuznetsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Novokuznetsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Novokuznetsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.40 ₽686

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$38.41 ₽2,803

18.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.57 ₽406

51.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.35 ₽171

24.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.12 ₽82.1

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.48 ₽35.23

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.37 ₽99.8

75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.47 ₽180

50.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.15 ₽83.7

93.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.71 ₽51.8

157.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.43 ₽105

51.75%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.77 ₽129

24.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.73 ₽783

83.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.72 ₽345

-23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.82 ₽644

53.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.75 ₽127

87.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.86 ₽136

-13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.90 ₽139

26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.76 ₽201

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.79 ₽57.9

93.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.70 ₽51.4

111.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.41 ₽103

-29.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.66 ₽47.86

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.00 ₽219

47.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.79 ₽714

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 ₽74.0

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.93 ₽141

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.49 ₽35.61

179.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.86 ₽135

62.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 ₽25.60

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.31 ₽461

123.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.73 ₽53.7

86.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.3K ₽2.5M

-17.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.7K ₽2.6M

-7.76%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$110 ₽8,052

10.32%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$6.05 ₽442

124.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.62 ₽556

140.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.96 ₽2,552

72.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.15 ₽376

68.74%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$319 ₽23.3K

117.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,058 ₽515.1K

122.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$69.2 ₽5,050

-13.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$44.28 ₽3,232

-21.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$115 ₽8,421

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$107 ₽7,809

-22.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$443 ₽32.3K

38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$304 ₽22.2K

43.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$773 ₽56.4K

171.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$500 ₽36.5K

201.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$424 ₽31.0K

19.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.62

-60.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $443 in Novokuznetsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Novokuznetsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $201 per month, with Novokuznetsk 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 Novokuznetsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Novokuznetsk differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $962 including rent). Novokuznetsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $443 in Novokuznetsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $319 in Novokuznetsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Novokuznetsk – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $962 in Novokuznetsk versus $1,265 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.