Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Poltava

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $786 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Poltava, Ukraine
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Poltava
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$786
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Poltava

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 Poltava actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $786 in Poltava.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Poltava $786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,005 in Poltava.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Poltava $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,225 in Poltava.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Poltava $1,225

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Poltava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Poltava 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.39 ₴246
-17.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$32.94 ₴1,502
-1.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.71 ₴352
14.27%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.70 ₴77.7
66.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$0.72 ₴32.82
20.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.54 ₴24.48
-9.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$0.95 ₴43.52
169.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.99 ₴90.9
84.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.12 ₴50.9
48.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$0.75 ₴34.29
94.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.44 ₴65.4
4.17%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.04 ₴93.0
2.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$9.55 ₴435
99.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.28 ₴241
-37.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.50 ₴296
67.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$1.21 ₴55.3
142.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.49 ₴67.8
13.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.78 ₴81.0
26.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.34 ₴60.9
55.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.42 ₴19.22
259.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$0.27 ₴12.44
411.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$1.44 ₴65.5
-25.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$0.61 ₴27.77
-14.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.30 ₴150
27.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$4.81 ₴219
290.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$0.79 ₴36.02
130.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.36 ₴62.1
108.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$0.47 ₴21.35
208.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
$29.07 ₴1,326
94.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.16 ₴98.4
39.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$0.45 ₴20.70
126.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$4.68 ₴214
-21.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.42 ₴64.7
3.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$30.1K ₴1.4M
-11.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$24.4K ₴1.1M
9.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$60.6 ₴2,764
58.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$4.97 ₴227
126.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$4.66 ₴212
261.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$28.05 ₴1,279
139.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$7.30 ₴333
46.99%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$3.00 ₴137
150.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$279 ₴12.7K
70.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$14.8K ₴673.7K
-23.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$62.4 ₴2,847
-0.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$39.59 ₴1,805
-28.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$64.5 ₴2,940
46.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$84.3 ₴3,842
1.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$303 ₴13.8K
136.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$265 ₴12.1K
84.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$1,202 ₴54.8K
247.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$826 ₴37.7K
268.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Poltava
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$416 ₴19.0K
20.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
17.88
-68.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Poltava: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Poltava
$265 45.9% $225
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Poltava
$167 37.3% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Poltava
$70 43.6% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Poltava
$113 7.4% $9
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Poltava
$101 17.4% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Poltava
$34 58.6% $48
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Poltava
$35 49.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $303 in Poltava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $33 in Poltava. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $167, with Poltava cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇦 Poltava
🕒 Local time
23:24 11:24 PM
18:24 6:24 PM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
297,600
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 45.6 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 50.89 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Poltava 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Poltava

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 Poltava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Poltava cheaper than Phuket?
Poltava is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Poltava?
Average pay runs 21% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Poltava?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $303 in Poltava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $279 in Poltava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Poltava?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Poltava?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Poltava?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Poltava are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Poltava wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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