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 $1,160 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,785 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,411 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Shchelkovo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿150

$12.49 ₽936

-62.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,515

$58.6 ₽4,393

-20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿286

$6.18 ₽463

43.04%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿96.9

$3.15 ₽236

-4.76%

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

$0.74 ฿23.98

$1.44 ₽108

-48.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.82

$0.62 ₽46.35

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿78.9

$1.41 ₽106

73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$4.47 ₽335

-19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.1

$1.33 ₽99.3

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.5

$0.85 ₽63.5

116.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿72.6

$1.74 ₽130

28.74%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿74.9

$1.91 ₽143

21.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿636

$12.97 ₽972

51.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿118

$6.07 ₽455

-39.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿424

$12.25 ₽918

6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.97 ₽147

72.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.1

$2.03 ₽152

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.1

$2.36 ₽177

2.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿65.6

$4.04 ₽303

-49.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.3

$1.03 ₽77.1

51.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.40

$0.81 ₽60.3

85.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.13

$1.63 ₽122

-37.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.82

$0.74 ₽55.8

-33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿144

$3.25 ₽243

36.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿610

$8.10 ₽607

133.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.4

$1.07 ₽80.3

66.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.1

$2.32 ₽174

18.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.31

$0.50 ₽37.21

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$2.48 ₽186

25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.31

$0.45 ₽33.59

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿456

$8.26 ₽619

70.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.70

$0.81 ₽61.0

66.67%

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

$27.2K ฿879.1K

$38.7K ₽2.9M

-29.68%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.6K ₽2.7M

-10.04%

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

$125 ฿4,042

$150 ₽11.2K

-16.68%

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

$13.57 ฿439

$7.83 ₽587

73.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿599

$8.10 ₽607

128.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,988

$34.86 ₽2,612

76.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿545

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿297

$6.41 ₽480

43.37%

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

$698 ฿22.6K

$323 ₽24.2K

116.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿504.3K

$6,919 ₽518.5K

125.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,868

$87.0 ₽6,518

-33.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,140

$53.7 ₽4,020

-34.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,658

$131 ₽9,805

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,793

$163 ₽12.2K

-47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿19.9K

$443 ₽33.2K

39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.4K

$303 ₽22.7K

47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.2K

$772 ₽57.8K

165.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.3K

$511 ₽38.3K

192.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.2K

$1,944 ₽145.7K

94.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿85.7K

$1,603 ₽120.1K

65.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

24.39

-78.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $59 in Shchelkovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $240, with Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shchelkovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,740 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: $616 in Phuket versus $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $323 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 $59.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,160 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.