Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tomsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tomsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,096 in Tomsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,661 in Tomsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,226 in Tomsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in Tomsk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tomsk 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.82 ₽745

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$29.07 ₽2,456

10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.62 ₽559

34.89%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.15 ₽182

34.88%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.88 ₽74.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.41 ₽34.84

17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.08 ₽91.1

117.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.62 ₽306

2.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.16 ₽98.3

61.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.76 ₽64.3

93.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.00 ₽84.3

55.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.44 ₽122

45.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.52 ₽974

70.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.63 ₽391

-26.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.67 ₽817

17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.58 ₽134

88.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.83 ₽154

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.94 ₽164

13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.62 ₽221

-17.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.44 ₽36.94

245.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.38 ₽31.84

252.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.90 ₽160

-40.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.56 ₽47.34

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.69 ₽227

58.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.26 ₽529

204.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.93 ₽78.8

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.61 ₽136

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.44 ₽37.02

406.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$8.40 ₽710

170.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.31 ₽195

31.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.29 ₽24.33

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.21 ₽609

-46.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.78 ₽65.7

91.03%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$35.2K ₽3.0M

-24.57%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$30.8K ₽2.6M

-12.11%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$154 ₽13.0K

-33.58%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$8.27 ₽698

37.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$11.68 ₽987

48.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$58.2 ₽4,918

-10.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$16.16 ₽1,365

-31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.66 ₽394

65.02%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$233 ₽19.7K

140.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$112 ₽9,502

-43.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$71.2 ₽6,012

-58.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$163 ₽13.7K

-39.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$120 ₽10.1K

-26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$503 ₽42.5K

46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$306 ₽25.9K

57.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$778 ₽65.8K

170.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$502 ₽42.4K

144.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,156 ₽182.2K

67.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,591 ₽134.5K

63.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$878 ₽74.2K

-43.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-74.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $503 in Tomsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tomsk pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Tomsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $192 per month, with Tomsk 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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tomsk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Tomsk. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $503 in Tomsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $233 in Tomsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Tomsk versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tomsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tomsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tomsk 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 Tomsk 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 Tomsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.