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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $954 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,471 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,988 in Shakhty.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Shakhty 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.33 ₽700

-50.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$37.47 ₽2,812

23.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.83 ₽437

48.89%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.36 ₽177

25.00%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.13 ₽84.9

-38.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.52 ₽38.68

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.38 ₽103

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.58 ₽193

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.12 ₽83.9

98.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.71 ₽53.2

153.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.43 ₽108

53.15%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.80 ₽135

28.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.78 ₽809

79.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.78 ₽359

-21.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.71 ₽654

51.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.82 ₽137

82.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.81 ₽136

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.90 ₽143

20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.79 ₽209

-28.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.78 ₽58.6

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.67 ₽50.4

125.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.41 ₽106

-26.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.71 ₽52.9

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.96 ₽222

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$8.28 ₽621

134.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.99 ₽74.5

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.94 ₽146

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.54 ₽40.16

164.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.89 ₽142

60.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.33 ₽24.54

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.44 ₽483

112.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.72 ₽54.1

80.56%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$34.3K ₽2.6M

-18.55%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.8K ₽2.7M

-7.60%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$111 ₽8,311

11.02%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$5.97 ₽448

131.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.67 ₽575

145.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$35.98 ₽2,700

69.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.96 ₽372

78.83%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$323 ₽24.2K

115.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,945 ₽521.2K

131.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$70.3 ₽5,275

-15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$45.28 ₽3,398

-23.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$114 ₽8,550

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$109 ₽8,154

-21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$452 ₽33.9K

36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$306 ₽23.0K

46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$759 ₽57.0K

174.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$502 ₽37.7K

198.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,111 ₽158.4K

76.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,639 ₽123.0K

62.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$403 ₽30.2K

32.51%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% 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 in Phuket vs $37 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 33% more on average, 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: $615 in Phuket versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $323 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 $954 in Shakhty versus $1,270 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.