Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saransk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saransk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $873 in Saransk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,380 in Saransk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,887 in Saransk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Saransk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Saransk 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.53 ₽906

-60.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$38.20 ₽3,001

20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.82 ₽458

51.89%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.65 ₽209

15.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.26 ₽98.6

-42.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.42 ₽33.13

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.05 ₽82.2

131.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.21 ₽252

17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.01 ₽79.6

123.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.58 ₽45.31

212.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.37 ₽107

64.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.54 ₽121

46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.55 ₽829

84.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.97 ₽391

-26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.91 ₽700

46.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.29 ₽102

150.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.69 ₽133

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.94 ₽73.6

153.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.49 ₽195

-18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.72 ₽56.3

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.66 ₽52.0

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.21 ₽94.8

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.59 ₽46.66

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.49 ₽196

78.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.03 ₽631

128.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.03 ₽81.0

80.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.50 ₽118

78.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.52 ₽41.16

171.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$25.17 ₽1,977

-53.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.86 ₽146

67.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.54 ₽42.66

92.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.82 ₽614

80.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.77 ₽60.3

70.13%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$24.3K ₽1.9M

14.63%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.7K ₽2.2M

19.71%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$111 ₽8,719

10.32%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.16 ₽248

330.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.44 ₽584

151.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$36.19 ₽2,843

67.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$3.70 ₽291

358.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.25 ₽491

45.12%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$334 ₽26.2K

111.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,987 ₽313.2K

296.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$44.73 ₽3,514

30.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$32.03 ₽2,516

10.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$62.4 ₽4,902

85.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$37.91 ₽2,978

120.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$503 ₽39.5K

24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$253 ₽19.9K

76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$772 ₽60.7K

164.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$507 ₽39.9K

194.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,591 ₽125.0K

118.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,057 ₽83.0K

143.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$452 ₽35.5K

10.70%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Saransk: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $503 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 11% 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 $38.00 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $183 per month, with Saransk 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 Saransk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saransk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $503 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $334 in Saransk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $873 in Saransk versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saransk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saransk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saransk 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 Saransk 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 Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.