Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shchelkovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shchelkovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $896 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,407 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,918 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Shchelkovo 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.79 ₽487

-23.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$29.30 ₽2,465

10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.77 ₽653

14.93%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.77 ₽233

4.69%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.89 ₽74.9

-1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.57 ₽48.24

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$0.90 ₽75.5

161.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.43 ₽121

160.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.95 ₽79.6

96.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.79 ₽66.1

86.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.15 ₽96.4

34.78%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.53 ₽129

37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.88 ₽747

120.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.83 ₽406

-29.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$11.57 ₽974

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.55 ₽130

92.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.43 ₽121

17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.50 ₽126

47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.52 ₽212

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.69 ₽58.3

120.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.39 ₽33.13

243.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.37 ₽115

-17.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.43 ₽35.80

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.10 ₽177

102.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.89 ₽580

177.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.71 ₽59.5

150.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.48 ₽125

87.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.49 ₽41.04

355.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.40 ₽286

-10.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.16 ₽13.61

537.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.42 ₽288

13.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.76 ₽63.7

96.05%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$34.4K ₽2.9M

-22.63%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$46.6K ₽3.9M

-42.03%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$101 ₽8,527

1.11%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$3.42 ₽288

231.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$4.62 ₽389

276.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$34.45 ₽2,899

51.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$22.93 ₽1,929

-51.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.94 ₽500

29.46%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$176 ₽14.8K

219.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$3,491 ₽293.7K

229.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$41.33 ₽3,478

52.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$23.17 ₽1,949

27.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$138 ₽11.6K

-29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$118 ₽9,934

-25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$446 ₽37.5K

65.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$304 ₽25.6K

58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$786 ₽66.1K

168.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$529 ₽44.5K

131.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,232 ₽187.8K

62.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,434 ₽120.6K

81.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.75

-73.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $446 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $182 per month, with Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shchelkovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,344 in Shchelkovo 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: $738 in Phuket versus $446 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $176 in Shchelkovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shchelkovo – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Shchelkovo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shchelkovo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shchelkovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.