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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $966 in Velikiye Luki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,496 in Velikiye Luki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,025 in Velikiye Luki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Velikiye Luki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Velikiye Luki 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.48 ₽756

-52.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$37.36 ₽2,980

22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.58 ₽445

56.99%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.27 ₽181

30.84%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.09 ₽86.8

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.51 ₽40.73

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.37 ₽109

84.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.61 ₽209

43.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.15 ₽92.0

86.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.69 ₽55.4

163.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.43 ₽114

52.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.71 ₽136

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$10.67 ₽852

87.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.76 ₽380

-23.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$8.59 ₽685

57.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.73 ₽138

87.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.80 ₽143

-8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.98 ₽158

17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$2.77 ₽221

-25.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.84 ₽67.1

84.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.72 ₽57.6

102.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.36 ₽108

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.72 ₽57.8

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.97 ₽237

46.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$13.70 ₽1,093

35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.02 ₽81.3

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.95 ₽156

35.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.49 ₽38.71

189.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.91 ₽152

65.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.33 ₽26.21

212.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$6.23 ₽497

122.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.73 ₽58.3

83.56%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$34.5K ₽2.8M

-19.43%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$35.3K ₽2.8M

-5.44%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$108 ₽8,608

14.04%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$6.04 ₽482

127.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$7.95 ₽635

130.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$35.30 ₽2,816

71.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.17 ₽412

71.57%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$322 ₽25.7K

113.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$7,025 ₽560.4K

124.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$68.5 ₽5,468

-13.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$44.39 ₽3,542

-21.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$116 ₽9,252

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$105 ₽8,378

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$442 ₽35.2K

40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$304 ₽24.2K

46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$776 ₽61.9K

161.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$505 ₽40.3K

196.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,278 ₽181.7K

51.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,766 ₽140.9K

43.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Velikiye Luki: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $442 in Velikiye Luki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Velikiye Luki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $208 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,450 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: $621 in Phuket versus $442 in Velikiye Luki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $322 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 $37.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $966 in Velikiye Luki versus $1,264 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.