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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $844 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,259 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,675 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ulyanovsk 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.97 ₽705

-49.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$32.25 ₽2,534

43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.81 ₽456

52.15%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.32 ₽182

31.90%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.05 ₽82.5

-30.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.49 ₽38.77

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.92 ₽72.4

164.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.60 ₽126

136.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.11 ₽87.0

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.60 ₽47.22

201.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.20 ₽94.0

87.50%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.51 ₽118

49.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.27 ₽728

110.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.68 ₽367

-22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.56 ₽672

52.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.30 ₽102

148.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.48 ₽117

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.51 ₽118

57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.75 ₽138

16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.68 ₽53.0

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.39 ₽30.95

284.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.80 ₽141

-45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.50 ₽38.92

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.39 ₽109

219.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.66 ₽366

293.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.86 ₽67.6

116.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.82 ₽143

47.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.40 ₽31.70

252.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.95 ₽154

59.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.18 ₽14.52

477.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.83 ₽301

268.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.76 ₽59.4

72.37%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$49.6K ₽3.9M

-43.89%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$43.5K ₽3.4M

-23.57%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$102 ₽8,028

19.83%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.46 ₽429

148.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$5.46 ₽429

242.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$34.90 ₽2,742

73.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.19 ₽329

116.47%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$90.3 ₽7,096

682.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,112 ₽480.2K

158.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$101 ₽7,936

-42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$47.69 ₽3,747

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$88.7 ₽6,964

30.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$75.8 ₽5,954

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$314 ₽24.7K

98.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$236 ₽18.6K

88.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$564 ₽44.3K

261.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$303 ₽23.8K

393.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,283 ₽179.4K

52.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,374 ₽107.9K

87.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$708 ₽55.6K

-29.39%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $314 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulyanovsk pays 42% 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 $32.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $168 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Ulyanovsk. 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 $314 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $90.3 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $844 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,250 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 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.