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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $963 in Novokuznetsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,470 in Novokuznetsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,977 in Novokuznetsk.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.28 ₽729

-50.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$37.89 ₽2,977

21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.82 ₽457

51.89%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.27 ₽178

34.80%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.12 ₽87.9

-34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.49 ₽38.42

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.41 ₽111

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.58 ₽203

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.11 ₽87.0

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.71 ₽56.0

154.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.38 ₽108

63.04%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.80 ₽141

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.70 ₽841

82.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.78 ₽376

-23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.89 ₽698

46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.73 ₽136

86.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.81 ₽143

-10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.97 ₽155

20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.69 ₽212

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.80 ₽63.0

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.67 ₽53.0

123.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.41 ₽111

-30.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.67 ₽52.6

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.88 ₽226

54.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.66 ₽523

175.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.02 ₽79.8

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.88 ₽148

42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.49 ₽38.29

187.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.85 ₽145

68.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.33 ₽25.56

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.40 ₽503

120.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.79 ₽61.8

65.82%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.6K ₽2.6M

-17.27%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.2K ₽2.8M

-5.67%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$111 ₽8,742

10.03%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.86 ₽460

131.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.70 ₽605

142.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$35.48 ₽2,787

70.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.16 ₽405

75.78%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$329 ₽25.8K

114.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,888 ₽541.1K

129.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$71.2 ₽5,592

-17.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$45.27 ₽3,556

-21.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$116 ₽9,081

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$106 ₽8,312

-20.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$441 ₽34.7K

41.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$299 ₽23.5K

49.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$770 ₽60.5K

164.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$506 ₽39.8K

194.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,909 ₽228.6K

19.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,910 ₽150.1K

34.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$451 ₽35.4K

10.95%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $441 in Novokuznetsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 11% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Novokuznetsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $194 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $963 including rent). Novokuznetsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $441 in Novokuznetsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $329 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $963 in Novokuznetsk versus $1,250 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.