Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Perm Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Perm

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,078 in Perm, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,629 in Perm, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,180 in Perm, rent included.

Phuket costs about 14% more than Perm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Perm are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Perm 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.66 ₽650

-46.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$31.41 ₽2,359

49.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.39 ₽405

64.01%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.26 ₽170

32.74%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.01 ₽76.2

-26.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.41 ₽30.51

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.29 ₽96.8

89.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.60 ₽195

38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.93 ₽69.8

143.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.67 ₽50.3

174.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.47 ₽110

52.38%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.75 ₽131

32.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.21 ₽692

113.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.73 ₽355

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.04 ₽754

30.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.65 ₽124

105.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.82 ₽137

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.80 ₽135

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.52 ₽189

-19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.97 ₽73.0

60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.82 ₽61.5

82.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.08 ₽81.0

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.67 ₽50.4

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.26 ₽245

36.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.41 ₽706

100.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.02 ₽76.9

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.90 ₽143

44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.52 ₽39.30

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$23.25 ₽1,746

-50.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.77 ₽133

76.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.18 ₽13.38

455.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.44 ₽333

217.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.78 ₽58.5

73.08%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.3K ₽2.4M

-13.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.5K ₽2.9M

-14.48%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$104 ₽7,806

20.25%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.75 ₽432

136.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$9.43 ₽709

96.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$31.23 ₽2,345

96.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.55 ₽1,243

1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.00 ₽375

83.80%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$334 ₽25.1K

109.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,956 ₽372.2K

214.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$98.5 ₽7,399

-41.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.68 ₽2,980

-11.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$141 ₽10.6K

-19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$150 ₽11.2K

-42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$542 ₽40.7K

13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$359 ₽27.0K

24.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$838 ₽62.9K

144.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$588 ₽44.2K

153.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,283 ₽171.5K

65.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,655 ₽124.3K

60.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$866 ₽65.0K

-39.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

17.62

-69.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Perm: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $542 in Perm. 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 65% higher in Perm, 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $31.00 in Perm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $194 – making Perm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Perm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,618 in Perm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 51% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $31.00 in Perm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perm, where all-in costs run around $1,078, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Perm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Perm. 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.