Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Volgograd Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Volgograd

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $844 in Volgograd.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,340 in Volgograd.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,836 in Volgograd.

Living in Phuket is roughly 50% more expensive than in Volgograd, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Volgograd 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.68 ₽477

-17.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$37.70 ₽3,169

-14.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.14 ₽432

68.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.37 ₽199

22.36%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.97 ₽81.9

-13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.55 ₽46.46

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.15 ₽96.6

115.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.40 ₽201

55.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.07 ₽90.1

76.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.66 ₽55.5

113.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.32 ₽111

22.73%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.46 ₽123

53.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.10 ₽597

179.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.92 ₽414

-29.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.84 ₽911

4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.22 ₽103

137.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.43 ₽120

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.41 ₽119

60.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.43 ₽204

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.73 ₽61.6

101.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.45 ₽38.15

215.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.33 ₽28.12

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.59 ₽49.82

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.69 ₽226

60.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.50 ₽715

118.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.08 ₽90.7

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.89 ₽159

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.49 ₽41.26

359.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$16.13 ₽1,356

45.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.14 ₽96.0

171.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.24 ₽20.29

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.45 ₽374

-13.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.81 ₽68.3

76.54%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$24.7K ₽2.1M

12.50%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$26.5K ₽2.2M

1.72%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$80.5 ₽6,764

30.22%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.92 ₽834

14.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$7.74 ₽650

126.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.73 ₽482

35.78%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$173 ₽14.5K

233.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,435 ₽288.7K

237.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$106 ₽8,941

-40.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$70.9 ₽5,957

-58.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$51.6 ₽4,336

86.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$172 ₽14.5K

-47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$383 ₽32.2K

91.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$233 ₽19.5K

115.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$889 ₽74.7K

139.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$458 ₽38.5K

173.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,353 ₽113.7K

161.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,158 ₽97.3K

126.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$440 ₽36.9K

15.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Volgograd: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $383 in Volgograd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Volgograd. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $177, with Volgograd cheaper for home cooking.

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 Volgograd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Volgograd is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $383 in Volgograd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $173 in Volgograd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Volgograd versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Volgograd but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Volgograd the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Volgograd 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 Volgograd 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 Volgograd gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.