Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saratov Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saratov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,082 in Saratov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,753 in Saratov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,425 in Saratov.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Saratov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Saratov 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$15.42 ₽1,296

-69.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$38.91 ₽3,270

-17.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.68 ₽645

13.02%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.59 ₽217

11.97%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.85 ₽71.8

-1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.49 ₽41.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.97 ₽166

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.12 ₽262

19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.00 ₽84.0

89.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.79 ₽66.7

78.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.55 ₽131

4.52%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.47 ₽124

52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.92 ₽834

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.48 ₽377

-22.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.63 ₽810

18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.90 ₽243

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.83 ₽153

-6.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.94 ₽78.9

141.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.29 ₽277

-35.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.74 ₽62.6

98.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.47 ₽39.71

202.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.83 ₽70.1

32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.55 ₽46.05

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.53 ₽213

70.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.85 ₽576

171.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.88 ₽73.7

104.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.83 ₽154

62.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.54 ₽45.74

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$15.10 ₽1,269

55.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.69 ₽142

83.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.33 ₽27.77

227.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.97 ₽586

-44.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.81 ₽68.5

76.54%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$44.0K ₽3.7M

-36.79%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$39.6K ₽3.3M

-31.80%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$116 ₽9,716

-9.34%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.94 ₽751

27.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$9.60 ₽807

82.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$40.76 ₽3,426

33.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$24.53 ₽2,062

-53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.92 ₽413

58.13%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$299 ₽25.1K

92.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,889 ₽326.9K

197.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$65.8 ₽5,528

-3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$69.7 ₽5,858

-58.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$101 ₽8,517

-5.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$145 ₽12.2K

-37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$474 ₽39.8K

54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$323 ₽27.2K

54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$882 ₽74.1K

141.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$650 ₽54.6K

92.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,556 ₽130.8K

127.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,255 ₽105.5K

108.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$623 ₽52.3K

-18.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.25

-72.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Saratov: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $474 in Saratov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saratov pays 23% 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 $39.00 in Saratov. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $192, with Saratov 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 Saratov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saratov is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Saratov. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $474 in Saratov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $299 in Saratov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,082 in Saratov versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saratov but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saratov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saratov 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 Saratov 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 Saratov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.