Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shakhty Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shakhty

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $964 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,472 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,981 in Shakhty.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shakhty 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿152

$9.66 ₽751

-53.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,558

$37.46 ₽2,912

23.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$5.56 ₽432

55.58%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.30 ₽178

34.35%

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

$0.68 ฿22.79

$1.09 ₽84.4

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.38

$0.48 ₽37.05

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.2

$1.40 ₽109

72.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.48 ₽193

53.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.10 ₽85.4

98.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.1

$0.70 ₽54.8

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.37 ₽106

59.12%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.1

$1.77 ₽138

26.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿670

$10.65 ₽828

87.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$4.79 ₽373

-24.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿456

$8.88 ₽690

52.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.81 ₽141

81.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.81 ₽141

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.4

$2.01 ₽156

15.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.75 ₽214

-26.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$0.85 ₽66.0

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.66 ₽51.4

125.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.02

$1.37 ₽106

-26.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.02

$0.67 ₽52.1

-28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.90 ₽226

53.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿626

$8.43 ₽655

121.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.0

$0.97 ₽75.3

84.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.0

$1.92 ₽149

45.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.69

$0.49 ₽37.79

189.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.94 ₽151

59.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.03

$0.35 ₽27.58

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿458

$6.22 ₽484

119.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.03

$0.72 ₽56.1

81.94%

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

$27.3K ฿916.6K

$34.9K ₽2.7M

-21.84%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.8K ₽2.8M

-7.17%

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

$123 ฿4,138

$109 ₽8,436

13.47%

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

$13.81 ฿464

$6.11 ₽475

126.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿622

$7.83 ₽609

136.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,028

$36.25 ₽2,817

66.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$5.15 ₽400

72.62%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$325 ₽25.3K

111.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿522.5K

$7,037 ₽547.0K

120.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,936

$69.3 ₽5,385

-16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,165

$44.33 ₽3,445

-21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,861

$114 ₽8,895

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,853

$109 ₽8,468

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.7K

$438 ₽34.1K

40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$309 ₽24.1K

43.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿68.8K

$754 ₽58.6K

171.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.6K

$514 ₽40.0K

192.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿119.9K

$2,268 ₽176.3K

57.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.4K

$1,303 ₽101.2K

92.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $438 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 per month, with Shakhty 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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shakhty is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,445 in Shakhty to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $438 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $325 in Shakhty. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shakhty – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Shakhty versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shakhty but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shakhty the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shakhty 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 Shakhty 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 Shakhty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.