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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $996 in Rostov-on-Don.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,555 in Rostov-on-Don.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,113 in Rostov-on-Don.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Rostov-on-Don, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rostov-on-Don 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.24 ₽829

-58.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$38.44 ₽2,836

18.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.99 ₽369

68.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.51 ₽186

16.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.20 ₽88.8

-42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.70 ₽51.5

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.24 ₽91.3

94.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.28 ₽168

63.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.02 ₽75.4

118.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.55 ₽40.41

232.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.15 ₽84.9

88.70%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.57 ₽116

40.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.12 ₽599

143.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.77 ₽352

-23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.38 ₽545

83.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.26 ₽93.2

160.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.65 ₽121

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.46 ₽108

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.41 ₽178

-13.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.72 ₽53.0

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.56 ₽41.22

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.19 ₽87.7

-16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.68 ₽50.0

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.32 ₽245

32.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.93 ₽586

144.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.91 ₽67.5

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.11 ₽156

28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.51 ₽37.82

168.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$18.86 ₽1,392

-39.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.94 ₽143

55.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.35 ₽26.16

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.36 ₽469

121.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.78 ₽57.8

74.36%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$25.3K ₽1.9M

11.47%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.9K ₽2.9M

-17.49%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$96.2 ₽7,100

26.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.01 ₽517

93.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$8.06 ₽595

127.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$40.50 ₽2,989

48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$25.14 ₽1,855

-31.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.94 ₽365

75.91%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$288 ₽21.2K

141.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,215 ₽606.2K

90.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$48.54 ₽3,582

22.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$62.3 ₽4,599

-44.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$113 ₽8,322

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$102 ₽7,504

-18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$490 ₽36.1K

25.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$351 ₽25.9K

24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$937 ₽69.1K

123.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$576 ₽42.5K

162.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,807 ₽207.1K

33.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,738 ₽128.3K

50.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$966 ₽71.3K

-47.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.33

-67.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $490 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $172 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rostov-on-Don earns 90% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $490 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $288 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 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,265 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.