Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,138 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ulan Ude

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Ulan Ude actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,138 in Ulan Ude.

Phuket $1,278
Ulan Ude $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,770 in Ulan Ude.

Phuket $2,216
Ulan Ude $1,770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,402 in Ulan Ude.

Phuket $3,154
Ulan Ude $2,402

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulan Ude 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.01 ₽565

-36.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$49.90 ₽4,019

-35.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.38 ₽595

19.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.70 ₽298

-23.51%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.82 ₽147

-52.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.89 ₽153

-74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.80 ₽306

-32.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.33 ₽510

-41.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.46 ₽117

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.87 ₽70.1

67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.43 ₽115

4.90%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.22 ₽179

-5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.66 ₽1,019

50.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.81 ₽548

-51.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.50 ₽1,087

-19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.12 ₽171

38.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.86 ₽150

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.87 ₽151

20.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.81 ₽226

-25.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.67 ₽53.9

125.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.79 ₽63.6

74.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.19 ₽176

-51.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.65 ₽52.7

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.00 ₽242

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.99 ₽563

168.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.51 ₽121

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.28 ₽103

121.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.49 ₽39.36

195.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$24.50 ₽1,973

131.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.27 ₽102

137.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.15 ₽12.31

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.50 ₽604

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.81 ₽65.6

81.48%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$50.2K ₽4.0M

-46.68%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$37.7K ₽3.0M

-29.16%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$95.1 ₽7,655

1.37%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.84 ₽390

132.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$7.89 ₽635

113.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$24.48 ₽1,971

174.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$49.19 ₽3,962

-78.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.49 ₽603

0.13%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$73.2 ₽5,895

-14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$30.56 ₽2,461

-7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$122 ₽9,859

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$126 ₽10.1K

-31.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$526 ₽42.3K

36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$396 ₽31.9K

23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$814 ₽65.5K

136.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$616 ₽49.6K

132.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,138 ₽172.2K

95.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,580 ₽127.3K

92.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$911 ₽73.4K

-44.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.67

-74.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ulan Ude

$396 34.8% 19.3% $95

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ulan Ude

$238 20.9% 10.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ulan Ude

$108 9.5% 13.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ulan Ude

$158 13.9% 30% $37

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ulan Ude

$169 14.9% 39% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5% 52% $43

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5% 59.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $526 in Ulan Ude. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulan Ude pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $50 in Ulan Ude. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $238, with Ulan Ude cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

436,138

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.87 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ulan Ude 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ulan Ude

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 11% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $526 in Ulan Ude. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Ulan Ude. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Ulan Ude runs roughly 57% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ulan Ude gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.