Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Penza

For one person, living is cheaper in Penza: $782 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Penza
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Penza Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Penza

🇷🇺 Russia

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Penza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Penza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $782 in Penza, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Penza $782

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,236 in Penza, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Penza $1,236

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,690 in Penza, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Penza $1,690

Phuket costs about 55% more than Penza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Penza are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Penza 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$8.31 ₽694

-47.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$36.30 ₽3,030

-11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.79 ₽650

12.45%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.50 ₽292

-19.14%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.05 ₽87.3

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.69 ₽57.4

-31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.26 ₽189

12.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.79 ₽233

37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.00 ₽83.5

73.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.46 ₽38.64

219.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.48 ₽124

46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$13.45 ₽1,122

46.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.14 ₽346

-19.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.86 ₽72.0

-40.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.60 ₽217

63.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$9.11 ₽760

103.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.05 ₽87.3

69.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.49 ₽208

14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.37 ₽31.07

510.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.50 ₽209

20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.25 ₽21.02

324.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$14.48 ₽1,209

-73.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.83 ₽69.3

74.70%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$36.8K ₽3.1M

-28.36%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$42.6K ₽3.6M

-36.80%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$83.6 ₽6,974

15.34%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$6.63 ₽554

66.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$11.10 ₽926

54.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$81.7 ₽6,822

-36.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.29 ₽525

24.17%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$357 ₽29.8K

55.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$163 ₽13.6K

-60.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$73.8 ₽6,163

-61.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$335 ₽28.0K

119.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$199 ₽16.6K

132.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$481 ₽40.1K

335.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$393 ₽32.8K

205.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,254 ₽188.1K

54.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,073 ₽89.5K

135.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$595 ₽49.6K

-15.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-76.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Penza: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Penza

$199 25.4% 57% $264

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Penza

$120 * 15.4% 55.2% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Penza

$101 13% 18.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Penza

$106 * 13.6% 14.4% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Penza

$156 19.9% 28.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Penza

$94 12.1% 39.1% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Penza

$5.3 * 0.7% 86.7% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $335 in Penza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Penza, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $36.00 in Penza. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Phuket vs $120 in Penza – so Penza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Penza

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

509,513

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Penza 6,930 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Penza

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Penza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $782 in Penza – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,173 in Penza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penza, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $782 in Penza. That's a gap of about 55%.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $357 in Penza. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Penza, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Penza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $782 in Penza to $1,208 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Penza. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.