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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $811 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,259 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,707 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Ulyanovsk 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$11.56 ₽992

-60.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$28.53 ₽2,448

14.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.87 ₽504

51.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.40 ₽206

16.67%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.00 ₽85.8

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.49 ₽42.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.22 ₽191

7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.71 ₽147

116.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.06 ₽91.0

68.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.72 ₽62.2

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.21 ₽104

30.58%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.98 ₽84.1

117.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.43 ₽981

74.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.48 ₽471

-37.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.44 ₽810

20.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.20 ₽103

145.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.61 ₽138

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.35 ₽201

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.79 ₽240

-25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.96 ₽82.3

53.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.65 ₽55.7

109.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.43 ₽123

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.42 ₽36.18

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.63 ₽226

62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$6.89 ₽592

167.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.70 ₽59.8

167.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$0.60 ₽51.3

386.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.41 ₽35.08

441.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$17.03 ₽1,461

34.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.25 ₽108

142.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.17 ₽14.43

529.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$4.83 ₽414

-18.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.78 ₽66.6

91.03%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$48.9K ₽4.2M

-44.53%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$42.2K ₽3.6M

-34.87%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$58.0 ₽4,978

77.24%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$5.19 ₽446

111.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$4.54 ₽390

285.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$27.89 ₽2,393

91.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$24.53 ₽2,105

-54.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.53 ₽474

35.26%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$175 ₽15.0K

218.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$29.00 ₽2,489

120.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$34.14 ₽2,930

-14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$91.2 ₽7,830

5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$57.9 ₽4,969

56.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$335 ₽28.7K

118.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$223 ₽19.2K

123.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$504 ₽43.2K

315.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$392 ₽33.6K

208.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,021 ₽173.5K

77.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,231 ₽105.7K

104.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$613 ₽52.6K

-17.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-75.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $335 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulyanovsk pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $189 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $335 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $175 in Ulyanovsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $811 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,253 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 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.