Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Velikiye Luki Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Velikiye Luki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $992 in Velikiye Luki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,492 in Velikiye Luki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,992 in Velikiye Luki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than Velikiye Luki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Velikiye Luki 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.77 ₽733

-52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$38.37 ₽2,880

21.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.81 ₽436

49.40%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.33 ₽175

26.61%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.08 ₽81.3

-35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.52 ₽38.77

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.42 ₽106

78.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.56 ₽192

47.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.11 ₽83.5

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.66 ₽49.41

172.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.43 ₽107

53.15%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.73 ₽130

33.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.70 ₽803

80.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.89 ₽367

-22.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.63 ₽647

53.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.81 ₽136

83.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.81 ₽136

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.90 ₽142

20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.81 ₽211

-29.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.83 ₽62.5

84.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.66 ₽49.32

128.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.35 ₽102

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.71 ₽53.5

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.98 ₽223

47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$14.00 ₽1,051

38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.00 ₽75.1

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.88 ₽141

42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.50 ₽37.44

186.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.95 ₽147

55.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.33 ₽24.41

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.41 ₽481

113.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.74 ₽55.3

75.68%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$34.3K ₽2.6M

-18.68%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.4K ₽2.7M

-6.56%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$108 ₽8,107

13.82%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$5.99 ₽449

130.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.76 ₽582

143.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$36.26 ₽2,721

68.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.03 ₽378

76.34%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$329 ₽24.7K

111.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,962 ₽522.4K

130.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$69.2 ₽5,189

-14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$44.92 ₽3,370

-22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$112 ₽8,436

0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$105 ₽7,884

-19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$444 ₽33.3K

38.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$309 ₽23.2K

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$761 ₽57.1K

174.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$513 ₽38.5K

191.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,809 ₽135.7K

106.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,320 ₽99.0K

101.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Velikiye Luki: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $444 in Velikiye Luki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $38 in Velikiye Luki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $209 per month, with Velikiye Luki 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 Velikiye Luki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Velikiye Luki is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,487 in Velikiye Luki to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $444 in Velikiye Luki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $329 in Velikiye Luki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Velikiye Luki – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $992 in Velikiye Luki versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Velikiye Luki but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Velikiye Luki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Velikiye Luki 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 Velikiye Luki 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 Velikiye Luki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.