Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sterlitamak Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sterlitamak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $957 in Sterlitamak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,549 in Sterlitamak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,141 in Sterlitamak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Sterlitamak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sterlitamak 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.96 ₽727

-52.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$51.3 ₽3,745

-11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.46 ₽471

30.50%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.59 ₽189

13.13%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.78 ₽56.7

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.53 ₽38.63

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.82 ₽133

32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.49 ₽108

149.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.04 ₽76.2

114.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.71 ₽51.5

157.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.47 ₽107

47.62%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.76 ₽129

25.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.47 ₽764

88.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.07 ₽370

-28.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.62 ₽629

56.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.01 ₽147

63.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.00 ₽146

-19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.68 ₽196

-10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.93 ₽214

-29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.69 ₽50.6

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.81 ₽59.0

82.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.77 ₽129

-44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.53 ₽38.81

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.96 ₽216

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.83 ₽499

183.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.92 ₽67.4

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.70 ₽124

59.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.52 ₽38.01

163.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.96 ₽143

54.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.51 ₽37.06

94.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.67 ₽487

111.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.72 ₽52.3

88.89%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$40.5K ₽3.0M

-30.34%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$48.1K ₽3.5M

-31.62%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$103 ₽7,531

17.95%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.16 ₽376

162.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$6.90 ₽504

165.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$35.01 ₽2,555

72.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.84 ₽280

126.30%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$378 ₽27.6K

83.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,118 ₽373.6K

206.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$77.1 ₽5,628

-22.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$39.34 ₽2,872

-11.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$128 ₽9,365

-10.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$115 ₽8,365

-27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$445 ₽32.5K

37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$300 ₽21.9K

45.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$769 ₽56.1K

172.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$508 ₽37.1K

197.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,284 ₽166.7K

64.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,529 ₽111.6K

71.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$943 ₽68.9K

-46.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-40.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sterlitamak: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $445 in Sterlitamak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sterlitamak pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Sterlitamak. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $199, with Sterlitamak 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 Sterlitamak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sterlitamak is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sterlitamak earns 86% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $445 in Sterlitamak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $378 in Sterlitamak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sterlitamak – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $957 in Sterlitamak versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sterlitamak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sterlitamak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sterlitamak 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 Sterlitamak 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 Sterlitamak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.