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 $969 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,480 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,991 in Shakhty.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.38 ₽675

-51.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$37.81 ₽2,718

23.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.55 ₽399

52.61%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.30 ₽165

31.74%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.12 ₽80.5

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.52 ₽37.29

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.40 ₽101

77.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.47 ₽177

48.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.10 ₽79.1

98.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.71 ₽51.0

167.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.36 ₽98.0

61.76%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.72 ₽124

29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.80 ₽777

85.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.84 ₽348

-24.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$9.02 ₽648

46.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.81 ₽130

78.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.90 ₽137

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.98 ₽142

20.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.75 ₽197

-24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.84 ₽60.3

89.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.66 ₽47.75

124.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.39 ₽100

-25.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.72 ₽51.9

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.95 ₽212

44.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$8.02 ₽576

134.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.93 ₽67.0

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.96 ₽141

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.49 ₽34.99

177.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.88 ₽135

67.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.33 ₽23.39

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.28 ₽452

119.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.73 ₽52.6

83.56%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$34.2K ₽2.5M

-19.05%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$36.1K ₽2.6M

-6.16%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$111 ₽7,980

11.35%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$5.79 ₽416

133.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$7.85 ₽564

138.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$35.65 ₽2,563

73.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.16 ₽371

77.13%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$326 ₽23.4K

115.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$6,863 ₽493.5K

131.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$69.4 ₽4,988

-14.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$44.27 ₽3,183

-20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$114 ₽8,164

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$108 ₽7,740

-21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$452 ₽32.5K

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$303 ₽21.8K

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$766 ₽55.1K

169.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$517 ₽37.2K

192.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,625 ₽188.7K

38.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,786 ₽128.4K

46.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $199 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,453 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: $619 in Phuket versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $326 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 $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.