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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Novosibirsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Novosibirsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,227 in Novosibirsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Novosibirsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Novosibirsk 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.39 ₽581

-38.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$37.91 ₽2,978

21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.22 ₽410

69.35%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.80 ₽220

9.29%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.33 ₽105

-45.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.80 ₽63.0

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.51 ₽197

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.74 ₽294

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.05 ₽82.4

115.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.62 ₽48.34

191.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 ₽126

40.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.90 ₽149

18.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.01 ₽865

77.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.13 ₽403

-28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.26 ₽806

27.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.01 ₽158

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.83 ₽144

-11.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.99 ₽157

19.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.45 ₽271

-41.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.78 ₽61.4

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.66 ₽51.9

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.08 ₽85.2

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.67 ₽52.6

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.20 ₽251

38.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.58 ₽752

91.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.92 ₽72.6

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.12 ₽166

26.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.53 ₽41.97

166.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$31.18 ₽2,449

-62.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.88 ₽148

65.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.25 ₽19.46

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.88 ₽305

263.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.70 ₽55.2

87.14%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$56.4K ₽4.4M

-50.69%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.8K ₽2.1M

24.17%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$107 ₽8,429

14.12%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.61 ₽441

142.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$8.43 ₽662

121.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$59.7 ₽4,687

1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$24.44 ₽1,920

-30.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.89 ₽463

53.99%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$354 ₽27.8K

99.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,706 ₽369.7K

235.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$67.7 ₽5,320

-13.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$39.96 ₽3,139

-11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$95.1 ₽7,474

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$79.0 ₽6,203

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$467 ₽36.7K

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$302 ₽23.8K

47.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$841 ₽66.1K

142.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$656 ₽51.5K

127.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,755 ₽216.4K

26.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,780 ₽139.8K

44.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$846 ₽66.5K

-40.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

17.38

-69.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $467 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $210 per month, with Novosibirsk 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 Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novosibirsk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $467 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $354 in Novosibirsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,000 in Novosibirsk versus $1,250 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.