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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $880 in Tambov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,386 in Tambov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,892 in Tambov.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than Tambov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tambov 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$12.87 ₽933

-64.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$38.85 ₽2,815

20.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.59 ₽405

51.52%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.72 ₽125

76.16%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.08 ₽78.6

-36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.58 ₽41.88

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.44 ₽104

72.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.92 ₽139

90.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.26 ₽91.2

73.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.86 ₽62.1

120.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.48 ₽107

48.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.86 ₽135

19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.64 ₽626

131.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.58 ₽404

-34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.10 ₽659

45.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.95 ₽141

65.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.84 ₽134

-7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.50 ₽181

-4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.82 ₽277

-45.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.78 ₽56.8

103.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.78 ₽56.4

89.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.56 ₽113

-33.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.68 ₽49.00

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.05 ₽148

107.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.76 ₽707

92.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.99 ₽71.9

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.91 ₽139

44.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.33 ₽23.63

312.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$25.47 ₽1,845

-55.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.29 ₽93.3

143.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.30 ₽22.00

246.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.42 ₽465

114.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.72 ₽51.9

86.11%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.8K ₽1.9M

7.46%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.3K ₽2.3M

4.94%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$64.2 ₽4,650

92.60%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.54 ₽401

144.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$6.95 ₽504

168.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$32.12 ₽2,328

92.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$15.04 ₽1,090

14.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.21 ₽450

47.18%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$376 ₽27.3K

86.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,994 ₽434.3K

164.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$51.0 ₽3,692

16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$37.72 ₽2,733

-7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$75.4 ₽5,461

52.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$114 ₽8,290

-26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$273 ₽19.8K

126.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$228 ₽16.5K

89.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$444 ₽32.2K

364.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$339 ₽24.6K

345.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,478 ₽107.1K

146.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,250 ₽90.6K

110.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$689 ₽49.9K

-26.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tambov: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $273 in Tambov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tambov pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Tambov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tambov earns 36% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $273 in Tambov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 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 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $880 in Tambov versus $1,261 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.