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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $966 in Ukhta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,490 in Ukhta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,014 in Ukhta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than Ukhta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ukhta 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.69 ₽727

-51.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$38.71 ₽2,905

19.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.58 ₽418

55.56%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.38 ₽179

23.95%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.07 ₽80.1

-34.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.48 ₽36.22

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.42 ₽107

78.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.53 ₽190

49.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.10 ₽82.5

101.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.66 ₽49.53

172.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.37 ₽103

59.85%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.78 ₽134

29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.95 ₽822

76.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.91 ₽368

-23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.97 ₽673

47.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.81 ₽136

83.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.90 ₽142

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.93 ₽145

18.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.68 ₽201

-25.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.83 ₽62.3

84.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.70 ₽52.5

115.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.35 ₽101

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.66 ₽49.86

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.98 ₽223

47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$8.14 ₽611

138.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.00 ₽75.1

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.88 ₽141

42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.53 ₽39.49

169.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.95 ₽146

55.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.33 ₽24.49

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.54 ₽490

109.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.73 ₽55.0

78.08%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$34.1K ₽2.6M

-18.12%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$36.1K ₽2.7M

-8.53%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$111 ₽8,324

10.85%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$5.90 ₽442

134.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.89 ₽592

139.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$34.93 ₽2,621

75.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.94 ₽371

79.55%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$325 ₽24.4K

114.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,917 ₽519.0K

132.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$70.2 ₽5,267

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$45.16 ₽3,389

-22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$116 ₽8,678

-2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$107 ₽8,041

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$439 ₽32.9K

40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$299 ₽22.4K

49.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$762 ₽57.2K

173.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$514 ₽38.5K

191.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,176 ₽163.3K

71.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,545 ₽116.0K

72.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ukhta: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $439 in Ukhta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $39 in Ukhta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $198 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,450 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: $615 in Phuket versus $439 in Ukhta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $325 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 $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $966 in Ukhta versus $1,270 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.