Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novosibirsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novosibirsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,089 in Novosibirsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,710 in Novosibirsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,332 in Novosibirsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Novosibirsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Novosibirsk 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$11.86 ₽997

-60.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$41.53 ₽3,490

-22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.86 ₽492

48.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.47 ₽208

17.41%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.10 ₽92.8

-23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.57 ₽47.92

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.14 ₽95.6

117.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.39 ₽285

10.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.14 ₽95.9

65.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.63 ₽53.0

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.43 ₽120

13.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.64 ₽138

36.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.47 ₽964

72.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.00 ₽420

-30.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.24 ₽944

1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.86 ₽156

55.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.57 ₽132

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.88 ₽158

20.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.16 ₽266

-32.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.79 ₽66.5

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.61 ₽51.1

132.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.51 ₽127

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.71 ₽59.9

-15.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.09 ₽259

39.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.54 ₽886

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.00 ₽84.1

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.73 ₽146

71.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.53 ₽44.69

324.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$28.33 ₽2,381

-17.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.09 ₽176

48.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.46 ₽38.62

134.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.70 ₽479

-32.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.76 ₽64.0

88.16%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.4K ₽2.0M

18.58%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$32.6K ₽2.7M

-17.28%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$109 ₽9,202

-4.27%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.02 ₽590

62.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$8.38 ₽704

109.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$37.86 ₽3,182

43.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$27.81 ₽2,338

-58.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.92 ₽582

12.43%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$289 ₽24.3K

99.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$67.8 ₽5,696

-6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$45.72 ₽3,843

-36.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$127 ₽10.7K

-24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$96.2 ₽8,087

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$546 ₽45.9K

34.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$376 ₽31.6K

33.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,002 ₽84.2K

112.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$701 ₽58.9K

78.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,403 ₽202.0K

47.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,770 ₽148.8K

48.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$857 ₽72.1K

-40.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

22.83

-75.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $546 in Novosibirsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novosibirsk pays 69% 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 $42.00 in Novosibirsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $213, with Novosibirsk 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 Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novosibirsk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Novosibirsk. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $546 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $289 in Novosibirsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,089 in Novosibirsk versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Novosibirsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Novosibirsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Novosibirsk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Novosibirsk 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 Novosibirsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.