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 $1,037 in Tomsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,606 in Tomsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,176 in Tomsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than Tomsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tomsk 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.45 ₽485

-28.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$31.79 ₽2,388

47.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.62 ₽422

57.30%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.27 ₽170

32.16%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.02 ₽76.8

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.43 ₽32.23

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.24 ₽93.3

96.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.14 ₽236

14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.11 ₽83.1

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.58 ₽43.45

217.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.85 ₽139

21.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.72 ₽129

34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.96 ₽823

79.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.50 ₽413

-33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.97 ₽674

46.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 ₽154

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.98 ₽149

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.15 ₽161

12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.77 ₽283

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.70 ₽52.6

122.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.54 ₽40.19

177.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.06 ₽79.5

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.61 ₽46.02

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.58 ₽193

72.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.90 ₽593

138.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.93 ₽70.2

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.83 ₽137

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.39 ₽29.62

258.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$26.15 ₽1,964

-56.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.68 ₽126

85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.25 ₽18.85

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.07 ₽456

132.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.69 ₽51.6

95.65%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.6K ₽2.4M

-13.94%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$40.4K ₽3.0M

-18.61%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$114 ₽8,556

9.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.09 ₽382

166.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.11 ₽609

128.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$61.1 ₽4,588

0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$25.54 ₽1,918

-34.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.55 ₽417

65.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$75.0 ₽5,633

830.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,392 ₽329.9K

254.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$74.7 ₽5,611

-22.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.43 ₽2,586

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$135 ₽10.1K

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$185 ₽13.9K

-53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$445 ₽33.4K

38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$278 ₽20.9K

60.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$753 ₽56.5K

172.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$500 ₽37.6K

198.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,153 ₽161.7K

75.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,504 ₽113.0K

76.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$804 ₽60.4K

-34.85%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $445 in Tomsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tomsk pays 53% 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 $32.00 in Tomsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $207 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tomsk earns 53% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $445 in Tomsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $75.0 in Tomsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,037 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.