Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tambov Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tambov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $888 in Tambov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,389 in Tambov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,890 in Tambov.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than in Tambov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tambov 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$12.54 ₽1,001

-64.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$37.51 ₽2,992

21.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.76 ₽460

52.08%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.68 ₽134

76.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.03 ₽82.3

-33.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.57 ₽45.83

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.48 ₽118

70.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.86 ₽148

101.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.25 ₽99.8

72.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.87 ₽69.3

109.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.54 ₽123

41.56%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.84 ₽147

22.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.13 ₽728

119.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.60 ₽446

-35.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.02 ₽720

50.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.89 ₽151

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.94 ₽155

-15.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.49 ₽199

-6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$3.71 ₽296

-44.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.74 ₽58.9

109.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.74 ₽59.3

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.48 ₽118

-33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.75 ₽59.5

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.06 ₽164

111.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$8.93 ₽712

107.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.00 ₽79.5

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.92 ₽153

38.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.36 ₽28.47

294.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$25.09 ₽2,002

-53.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.24 ₽99.0

155.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.28 ₽22.33

267.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$6.43 ₽513

116.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.77 ₽61.1

74.03%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$25.3K ₽2.0M

9.91%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.1K ₽2.6M

4.04%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$63.6 ₽5,073

93.47%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$5.42 ₽433

154.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$7.00 ₽558

161.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$31.60 ₽2,521

92.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$15.21 ₽1,214

12.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.46 ₽516

37.31%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$376 ₽30.0K

82.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,209 ₽495.3K

154.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$50.3 ₽4,008

18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$37.59 ₽2,999

-7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$76.2 ₽6,079

51.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$112 ₽8,937

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$268 ₽21.4K

131.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$226 ₽18.1K

97.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$443 ₽35.4K

358.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$347 ₽27.7K

331.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,708 ₽136.2K

102.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,324 ₽105.6K

91.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$660 ₽52.6K

-25.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

22.67

-76.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tambov: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $268 in Tambov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tambov pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Tambov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $212 per month, with Tambov 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 Tambov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tambov is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Tambov. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $268 in Tambov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $376 in Tambov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Tambov versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tambov but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tambov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tambov 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 Tambov 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 Tambov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.