Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,146 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don.

Phuket $1,208
Rostov-on-Don $1,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,600 in Rostov-on-Don.

Phuket $2,027
Rostov-on-Don $1,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,055 in Rostov-on-Don.

Phuket $2,845
Rostov-on-Don $2,055

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Rostov-on-Don 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$10.73 ₽895

-58.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$24.52 ₽2,046

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.97 ₽498

46.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.96 ₽247

-4.39%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.12 ₽93.5

-19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.51 ₽42.78

-7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.23 ₽102

107.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.11 ₽259

23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.14 ₽94.9

51.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.74 ₽62.1

98.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.22 ₽102

23.77%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.44 ₽120

50.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$9.29 ₽775

112.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.36 ₽448

-37.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$7.96 ₽664

40.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.44 ₽120

97.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.86 ₽155

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.43 ₽120

53.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.31 ₽192

-11.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.68 ₽56.6

113.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.63 ₽52.6

119.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.00 ₽83.5

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.65 ₽54.4

-21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.75 ₽230

54.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.09 ₽508

205.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.97 ₽80.6

83.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.10 ₽175

35.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.51 ₽42.79

343.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$14.40 ₽1,202

53.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.58 ₽299

-15.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.14 ₽12.09

657.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$4.05 ₽338

-4.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.81 ₽67.4

79.01%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$52.1K ₽4.3M

-49.48%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$40.8K ₽3.4M

-34.04%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$124 ₽10.3K

-21.96%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$7.47 ₽623

47.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$8.95 ₽747

91.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$34.64 ₽2,891

50.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$21.30 ₽1,778

-47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.50 ₽459

42.00%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$365 ₽30.4K

52.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$55.9 ₽4,661

14.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$45.05 ₽3,760

-36.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$108 ₽9,013

-11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$106 ₽8,832

-16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$642 ₽53.6K

14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$460 ₽38.4K

0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$896 ₽74.8K

133.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$572 ₽47.7K

110.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,355 ₽196.5K

48.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,508 ₽125.8K

67.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$825 ₽68.8K

-39.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.83

-71.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1% 0.5% $2.5

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7% 33% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2% 12.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4% 13.9% $17

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8% 30.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4% 32.7% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8% 47.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $642 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $180 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,114,806

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Rostov-on-Don 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Rostov-on-Don

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

Rostov-on-Don is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $642 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $365 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 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,208 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.