Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rostov-on-Don Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rostov-on-Don

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,012 in Rostov-on-Don.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,524 in Rostov-on-Don.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,036 in Rostov-on-Don.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Rostov-on-Don 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$10.24 ₽879

-55.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$34.33 ₽2,947

-4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.86 ₽503

51.88%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.63 ₽226

6.46%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.12 ₽96.2

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.54 ₽46.49

-9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.02 ₽173

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.08 ₽264

20.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.14 ₽98.1

57.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.67 ₽57.1

114.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.36 ₽117

16.18%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.28 ₽110

66.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.78 ₽1,011

69.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.93 ₽423

-30.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$8.98 ₽771

26.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.34 ₽115

120.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.75 ₽150

-1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.46 ₽126

58.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.61 ₽224

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.81 ₽69.8

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.55 ₽47.44

147.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.22 ₽104

-9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.61 ₽52.1

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.85 ₽245

49.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$6.63 ₽569

177.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.87 ₽74.8

114.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.98 ₽170

47.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.52 ₽44.84

326.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$13.81 ₽1,185

65.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.17 ₽272

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.16 ₽13.48

568.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.93 ₽337

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.81 ₽69.5

83.95%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$28.9K ₽2.5M

-6.25%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$30.7K ₽2.6M

-10.58%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$127 ₽10.9K

-19.16%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$8.89 ₽763

23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$7.72 ₽662

126.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$29.45 ₽2,528

81.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$20.11 ₽1,726

-44.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.05 ₽434

48.12%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$323 ₽27.7K

72.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$51.5 ₽4,421

24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$43.02 ₽3,692

-32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$87.5 ₽7,510

9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$108 ₽9,288

-16.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$482 ₽41.3K

51.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$326 ₽27.9K

53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$973 ₽83.5K

114.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$509 ₽43.7K

137.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,397 ₽205.7K

50.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,438 ₽123.4K

74.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$790 ₽67.8K

-36.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.14

-72.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $482 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Rostov-on-Don. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $189, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Rostov-on-Don. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $482 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $323 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.