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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,093 in Ulan Ude.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,679 in Ulan Ude.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,265 in Ulan Ude.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ulan Ude, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ulan Ude 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.68 ₽565

-33.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$47.49 ₽4,012

-32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.23 ₽611

23.51%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.50 ₽296

-17.14%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.83 ₽154

-51.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.82 ₽154

-73.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.61 ₽305

-34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.91 ₽499

-37.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.27 ₽107

47.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.84 ₽71.4

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.46 ₽38.77

236.96%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.86 ₽158

12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.85 ₽1,002

65.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.07 ₽513

-43.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.57 ₽893

7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.21 ₽102

146.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.74 ₽147

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.16 ₽98.3

90.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.31 ₽195

-6.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.58 ₽48.98

162.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.81 ₽68.0

65.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$3.58 ₽302

-68.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.70 ₽58.8

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.85 ₽241

49.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.19 ₽692

133.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.61 ₽51.9

191.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.16 ₽98.1

139.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.45 ₽38.31

395.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$23.76 ₽2,007

-4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.28 ₽108

136.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.15 ₽12.50

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.13 ₽602

-45.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.83 ₽70.3

79.52%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$47.3K ₽4.0M

-43.78%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.0K ₽3.0M

-22.79%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$120 ₽10.1K

-14.28%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.65 ₽309

210.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$8.23 ₽696

111.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$23.57 ₽1,991

120.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$47.39 ₽4,004

-76.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.24 ₽611

6.22%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$70.9 ₽5,993

-11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.65 ₽2,505

-0.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$117 ₽9,900

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$117 ₽9,896

-24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$498 ₽42.1K

48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$366 ₽30.9K

31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$760 ₽64.3K

177.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$596 ₽50.3K

105.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,975 ₽166.8K

83.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,551 ₽131.0K

67.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$882 ₽74.5K

-44.01%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $498 in Ulan Ude. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulan Ude pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Ulan Ude. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $209, with Ulan Ude cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $498 in Ulan Ude. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulan Ude – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Ulan Ude runs roughly 4% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,093 in Ulan Ude versus $1,232 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.