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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $976 in Ulan Ude.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,502 in Ulan Ude.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,029 in Ulan Ude.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulan Ude 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.76 ₽712

-51.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$37.64 ₽2,747

20.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.88 ₽429

43.37%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.29 ₽167

27.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.19 ₽87.2

-42.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.52 ₽37.76

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 ₽98.9

78.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.61 ₽190

42.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.15 ₽83.7

93.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.44 ₽32.07

315.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.39 ₽101

56.12%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.79 ₽131

23.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.97 ₽801

79.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.82 ₽352

-24.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.72 ₽636

55.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.80 ₽132

82.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.80 ₽131

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.89 ₽138

27.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.77 ₽202

-24.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.85 ₽62.0

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.71 ₽51.7

108.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.42 ₽104

-30.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.70 ₽51.3

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.93 ₽214

50.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.11 ₽519

172.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.03 ₽74.9

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.94 ₽142

39.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.53 ₽39.03

158.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.92 ₽140

57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.32 ₽23.59

209.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.49 ₽474

117.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.79 ₽57.9

72.15%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.7K ₽2.5M

-18.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K ₽2.6M

-6.63%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$109 ₽7,921

12.15%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$6.09 ₽445

122.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.67 ₽560

138.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.08 ₽2,634

66.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.13 ₽375

69.40%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$324 ₽23.7K

113.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,896 ₽503.3K

127.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$71.2 ₽5,199

-16.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$44.84 ₽3,273

-22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$115 ₽8,389

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$106 ₽7,729

-21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$439 ₽32.1K

39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$310 ₽22.6K

41.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$754 ₽55.0K

177.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$511 ₽37.3K

195.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,532 ₽184.8K

48.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,966 ₽143.5K

33.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$703 ₽51.3K

-27.75%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $439 in Ulan Ude. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulan Ude pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Ulan Ude for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 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, Ulan Ude earns 38% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $439 in Ulan Ude. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $324 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Ulan Ude versus $1,265 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.