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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,008 in Tomsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,575 in Tomsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,142 in Tomsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Tomsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tomsk 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.42 ₽511

-30.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$31.90 ₽2,539

42.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.81 ₽462

50.77%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.24 ₽178

32.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.00 ₽79.7

-31.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.42 ₽33.80

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.25 ₽99.6

102.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.12 ₽248

20.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.11 ₽88.3

93.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.57 ₽45.73

219.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.92 ₽153

13.54%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.74 ₽138

29.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.85 ₽863

84.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.70 ₽454

-36.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.63 ₽687

57.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.95 ₽155

66.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.98 ₽158

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.16 ₽172

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.71 ₽296

-44.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.65 ₽51.8

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.53 ₽42.36

175.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.00 ₽79.6

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.62 ₽49.57

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.52 ₽201

72.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.24 ₽576

156.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.85 ₽67.3

118.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.80 ₽143

47.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.39 ₽31.14

264.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$26.41 ₽2,102

-56.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.63 ₽130

94.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.23 ₽18.27

347.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.04 ₽480

129.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.73 ₽58.3

83.56%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$30.5K ₽2.4M

-8.96%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$40.9K ₽3.3M

-18.47%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$113 ₽8,974

9.14%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.09 ₽405

170.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.92 ₽631

131.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$62.2 ₽4,950

-2.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$25.62 ₽2,039

-33.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.66 ₽450

56.71%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$77.5 ₽6,168

787.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,447 ₽353.9K

254.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$76.4 ₽6,081

-22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.28 ₽2,729

1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$132 ₽10.5K

-12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$184 ₽14.7K

-54.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$448 ₽35.6K

38.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$282 ₽22.4K

58.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$744 ₽59.2K

173.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$517 ₽41.2K

189.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,322 ₽184.8K

48.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,501 ₽119.4K

68.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$918 ₽73.0K

-46.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

22.08

-75.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $448 in Tomsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tomsk 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Tomsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $204 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $448 in Tomsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $77.5 in Tomsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,008 in Tomsk versus $1,264 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.