Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint Petersburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint Petersburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Saint Petersburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,043 in Saint Petersburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,794 in Saint Petersburg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Saint Petersburg 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.41 ₽749

-52.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$50.0 ₽3,982

-8.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.69 ₽453

53.95%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.62 ₽209

13.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.09 ₽86.5

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.57 ₽45.65

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.22 ₽257

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.83 ₽305

-2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.16 ₽92.6

85.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.91 ₽72.1

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.58 ₽126

37.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.86 ₽148

20.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.09 ₽963

65.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.29 ₽421

-31.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.85 ₽864

24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.74 ₽139

86.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.79 ₽143

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.00 ₽159

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.54 ₽282

-41.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.83 ₽66.0

86.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.63 ₽50.3

131.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.36 ₽108

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.78 ₽62.2

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.97 ₽237

46.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.03 ₽719

105.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.01 ₽80.4

84.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.05 ₽163

29.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.93 ₽74.3

52.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$52.9 ₽4,208

-78.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.74 ₽218

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.59 ₽46.56

74.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.61 ₽605

82.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.73 ₽58.3

83.56%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$37.4K ₽3.0M

-25.63%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$37.2K ₽3.0M

-10.19%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$132 ₽10.5K

-6.64%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$6.67 ₽531

106.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.07 ₽563

159.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$36.62 ₽2,914

65.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$22.66 ₽1,803

-24.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.86 ₽466

51.37%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$398 ₽31.7K

72.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$9,616 ₽765.3K

64.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$99.9 ₽7,948

-40.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$54.6 ₽4,342

-36.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$114 ₽9,035

1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$136 ₽10.8K

-38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$785 ₽62.4K

-20.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$475 ₽37.8K

-6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,434 ₽114.2K

41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$893 ₽71.1K

67.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,583 ₽364.8K

-24.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,954 ₽235.1K

-14.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,206 ₽96.0K

-59.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

24.95

-78.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $785 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 144% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $221, with Saint Petersburg 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 Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 144% lower in Saint Petersburg. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $785 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $398 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Saint Petersburg pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Petersburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Saint Petersburg 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.