Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ukhta Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ukhta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $955 in Ukhta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,472 in Ukhta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,989 in Ukhta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Ukhta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ukhta 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.70 ₽697

-52.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$38.16 ₽2,744

22.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.64 ₽406

50.18%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.27 ₽163

33.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.07 ₽77.0

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.49 ₽35.01

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.35 ₽97.0

84.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.61 ₽188

40.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.15 ₽82.5

89.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.66 ₽47.45

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.41 ₽101

56.03%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.73 ₽125

28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.94 ₽787

82.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.95 ₽356

-26.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.67 ₽623

52.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.81 ₽130

78.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.89 ₽136

-10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.92 ₽138

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.71 ₽195

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.86 ₽61.8

84.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.67 ₽48.17

120.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.34 ₽96.7

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.66 ₽47.72

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.96 ₽213

43.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$8.59 ₽618

118.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.02 ₽73.3

72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.92 ₽138

43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.50 ₽35.74

172.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.93 ₽139

62.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.33 ₽23.69

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.36 ₽458

116.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.72 ₽51.8

86.11%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$34.7K ₽2.5M

-20.24%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K ₽2.5M

-3.73%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$109 ₽7,826

13.55%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$5.98 ₽430

126.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$7.83 ₽563

138.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$35.32 ₽2,539

75.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.16 ₽371

77.13%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$329 ₽23.7K

113.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$6,947 ₽499.5K

128.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$71.0 ₽5,105

-16.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$44.96 ₽3,233

-22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$115 ₽8,256

0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$106 ₽7,621

-20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$440 ₽31.7K

40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$299 ₽21.5K

44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$748 ₽53.8K

175.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$502 ₽36.1K

200.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,525 ₽181.5K

44.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,659 ₽119.3K

58.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ukhta: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $440 in Ukhta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Ukhta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $199 per month, with Ukhta 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 Ukhta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ukhta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,433 in Ukhta to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $440 in Ukhta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $329 in Ukhta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ukhta – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in Ukhta versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ukhta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ukhta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ukhta 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 Ukhta 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 Ukhta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.