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 $914 in Perm, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,394 in Perm, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,875 in Perm, rent included.

Phuket costs about 35% more than Perm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Perm are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Perm 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.34 ₽705

-47.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$25.53 ₽2,157

26.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.02 ₽508

48.34%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.22 ₽187

30.63%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.81 ₽68.2

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.40 ₽33.78

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.15 ₽96.9

104.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.52 ₽129

144.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.05 ₽88.6

78.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.89 ₽75.0

65.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.19 ₽101

30.25%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.23 ₽104

70.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.84 ₽662

149.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.09 ₽430

-32.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.69 ₽988

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.15 ₽181

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.21 ₽187

-23.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.16 ₽182

2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.41 ₽204

-10.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.54 ₽45.51

181.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.42 ₽35.11

219.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.81 ₽68.7

39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.85 ₽71.6

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.58 ₽218

65.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.68 ₽818

97.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.86 ₽72.5

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.66 ₽140

67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.53 ₽45.01

320.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$23.68 ₽2,001

-3.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.82 ₽154

66.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.45 ₽38.21

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$4.03 ₽341

-3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.84 ₽71.1

77.38%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$41.4K ₽3.5M

-35.84%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$39.4K ₽3.3M

-31.38%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$125 ₽10.6K

-18.19%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$5.47 ₽462

107.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$8.36 ₽706

108.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$27.97 ₽2,363

86.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$13.44 ₽1,136

-17.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.19 ₽692

-6.11%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$236 ₽19.9K

137.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,298 ₽363.1K

167.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$53.4 ₽4,513

17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$34.18 ₽2,888

-13.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$62.1 ₽5,243

57.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$72.3 ₽6,107

22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$471 ₽39.8K

56.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$270 ₽22.8K

78.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$598 ₽50.6K

252.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$478 ₽40.4K

156.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,448 ₽206.8K

47.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,585 ₽133.9K

64.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$971 ₽82.0K

-49.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

23.33

-76.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Perm: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $471 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 97% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $26.00 in Perm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $201 – 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 35%, 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 $1,371 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 36% 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $26.00 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 $914, 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.