Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulan Ude Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulan Ude

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $960 in Ulan Ude.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,464 in Ulan Ude.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Ulan Ude.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Ulan Ude, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulan Ude 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.28 ₽729

-50.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$37.70 ₽2,961

22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.99 ₽471

47.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.29 ₽180

33.62%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.19 ₽93.4

-38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.48 ₽37.42

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.42 ₽111

71.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.53 ₽198

49.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.16 ₽91.4

94.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.44 ₽34.51

311.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.37 ₽107

64.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.72 ₽135

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.69 ₽840

82.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.90 ₽385

-25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.89 ₽698

46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.73 ₽136

86.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.84 ₽144

-11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.93 ₽151

23.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.66 ₽209

-23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.79 ₽61.8

93.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.68 ₽53.0

120.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.40 ₽110

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.68 ₽53.3

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.98 ₽234

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.36 ₽500

188.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.00 ₽78.7

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.92 ₽151

39.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.49 ₽38.24

187.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.87 ₽147

66.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.33 ₽25.90

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.28 ₽494

124.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.80 ₽62.7

63.75%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$34.8K ₽2.7M

-20.15%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$36.0K ₽2.8M

-7.83%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$109 ₽8,593

11.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.99 ₽470

126.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.76 ₽610

140.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$35.95 ₽2,824

68.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.09 ₽400

78.19%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$319 ₽25.1K

121.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,056 ₽554.3K

123.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$68.8 ₽5,403

-14.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$44.46 ₽3,493

-20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$114 ₽8,922

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$108 ₽8,520

-22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$447 ₽35.1K

40.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$306 ₽24.0K

45.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$759 ₽59.6K

168.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$516 ₽40.6K

188.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,329 ₽183.0K

49.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,802 ₽141.6K

42.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$670 ₽52.7K

-25.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.33

-70.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $447 in Ulan Ude. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulan Ude pays 34% 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 $38.00 in Ulan Ude for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $191 per month, with Ulan Ude 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 Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulan Ude is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Ulan Ude. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $447 in Ulan Ude. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $319 in Ulan Ude. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulan Ude – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in Ulan Ude versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ulan Ude but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulan Ude the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulan Ude 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 Ulan Ude 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 Ulan Ude gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.