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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,808 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,450 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Shchelkovo 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$12.79 ₽1,018

-64.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$58.0 ₽4,612

-21.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.19 ₽493

41.52%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.29 ₽262

-9.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.42 ₽113

-51.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.68 ₽54.2

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.35 ₽108

87.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.55 ₽362

-17.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.30 ₽103

65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.83 ₽66.0

119.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.77 ₽141

23.16%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.92 ₽153

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$13.02 ₽1,036

53.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.85 ₽466

-37.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.92 ₽949

13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.93 ₽153

67.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.10 ₽167

-21.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.34 ₽186

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.98 ₽317

-47.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.04 ₽82.6

49.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.79 ₽62.6

84.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.64 ₽130

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.75 ₽59.8

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.25 ₽259

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.98 ₽635

132.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 ₽86.2

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.35 ₽187

12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.50 ₽39.48

184.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.57 ₽205

23.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.48 ₽38.28

114.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.08 ₽643

71.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.79 ₽63.1

69.62%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$37.9K ₽3.0M

-26.65%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$37.1K ₽3.0M

-9.97%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$149 ₽11.8K

-17.23%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$8.22 ₽654

67.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.87 ₽627

132.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$35.26 ₽2,807

72.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.50 ₽518

36.46%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$324 ₽25.8K

111.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,051 ₽561.2K

123.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$86.6 ₽6,889

-31.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$52.5 ₽4,182

-33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$134 ₽10.6K

-13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$160 ₽12.8K

-47.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$450 ₽35.8K

38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$307 ₽24.5K

45.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$767 ₽61.1K

165.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$504 ₽40.1K

196.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,203 ₽175.3K

56.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,355 ₽107.8K

86.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $450 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Shchelkovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $238, 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,749 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: $621 in Phuket versus $450 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $324 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 $58.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Shchelkovo versus $1,264 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.