Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulyanovsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulyanovsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $835 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,239 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulyanovsk 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.93 ₽652

-47.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$31.68 ₽2,312

43.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.58 ₽408

51.08%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.41 ₽176

21.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.11 ₽81.0

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.46 ₽33.36

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.85 ₽61.8

183.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.67 ₽122

122.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.10 ₽80.6

102.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.65 ₽47.23

181.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.19 ₽86.8

82.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.57 ₽114

40.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.35 ₽682

111.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.75 ₽347

-23.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.51 ₽621

58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.25 ₽90.9

162.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.50 ₽109

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.46 ₽107

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.74 ₽127

19.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.67 ₽48.62

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.39 ₽28.68

279.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.75 ₽128

-43.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.54 ₽39.40

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.38 ₽101

219.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.98 ₽363

289.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.91 ₽66.7

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.77 ₽129

53.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.43 ₽31.58

218.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.85 ₽135

63.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.19 ₽13.75

421.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.92 ₽286

259.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.76 ₽55.4

78.95%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$48.7K ₽3.6M

-42.09%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$44.7K ₽3.3M

-26.31%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$102 ₽7,465

19.00%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.47 ₽399

148.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$5.59 ₽408

227.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$35.95 ₽2,624

67.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.07 ₽297

113.51%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$89.2 ₽6,511

677.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,038 ₽440.7K

159.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$100 ₽7,317

-40.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$47.92 ₽3,498

-27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$87.2 ₽6,364

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$75.7 ₽5,523

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$316 ₽23.0K

94.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$234 ₽17.1K

86.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$565 ₽41.2K

270.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$304 ₽22.2K

395.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,443 ₽178.3K

53.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,482 ₽108.2K

76.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$742 ₽54.1K

-31.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $316 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulyanovsk pays 46% 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 $32.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $170 per month, with Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulyanovsk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ulyanovsk earns 46% 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 $316 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $89.2 in Ulyanovsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $835 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.