Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yekaterinburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,369 in Yekaterinburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
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Yekaterinburg Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yekaterinburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Yekaterinburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,369 in Yekaterinburg.

Phuket $1,207
Yekaterinburg $1,369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,228 in Yekaterinburg.

Phuket $2,037
Yekaterinburg $2,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,088 in Yekaterinburg.

Phuket $2,867
Yekaterinburg $3,088

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Yekaterinburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Yekaterinburg is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$12.53 ₽1,046

-63.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$53.9 ₽4,498

-39.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.82 ₽486

46.91%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.33 ₽195

16.74%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.24 ₽104

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.37 ₽31.27

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.29 ₽191

13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.06 ₽256

25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.14 ₽94.9

52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.71 ₽59.3

101.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.19 ₽99.0

28.57%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.69 ₽141

28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$11.11 ₽928

72.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.18 ₽432

-36.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$13.43 ₽1,121

-17.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.05 ₽171

43.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.74 ₽145

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.46 ₽122

57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.66 ₽222

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.67 ₽55.8

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.58 ₽48.80

134.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.49 ₽124

-24.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.91 ₽76.1

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.42 ₽285

24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$7.29 ₽609

149.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.43 ₽119

21.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.51 ₽209

11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.52 ₽43.02

326.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$17.69 ₽1,477

24.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$4.15 ₽346

-29.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.19 ₽15.64

431.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.21 ₽351

-9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.86 ₽71.9

73.26%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$36.1K ₽3.0M

-26.09%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$28.5K ₽2.4M

-6.32%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$120 ₽10.0K

-17.21%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$5.81 ₽485

94.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$11.93 ₽996

45.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$43.24 ₽3,609

20.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$36.43 ₽3,040

-70.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.22 ₽603

4.85%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$350 ₽29.2K

59.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$3,645 ₽304.2K

215.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$133 ₽11.1K

-52.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$105 ₽8,738

-72.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$237 ₽19.8K

-59.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$170 ₽14.2K

-48.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$767 ₽64.0K

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$472 ₽39.4K

-2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,263 ₽105.4K

65.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$976 ₽81.5K

25.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,455 ₽204.9K

40.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,672 ₽139.6K

48.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$980 ₽81.8K

-49.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

22.22

-74.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yekaterinburg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Yekaterinburg

$472 34.5% 2.7% $12

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Yekaterinburg

$216 15.8% 19.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Yekaterinburg

$138 10.1% 7.6% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Yekaterinburg

$290 21.2% 134% $166

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Yekaterinburg

$170 12.4% 39.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Yekaterinburg

$58 4.2% 14.4% $9.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Yekaterinburg

$25 1.8% 36.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $767 in Yekaterinburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yekaterinburg pays 99% 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 $54.0 in Yekaterinburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $216, with Yekaterinburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,495,066

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Yekaterinburg 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Yekaterinburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yekaterinburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and eating out. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 99% lower in Yekaterinburg. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $767 in Yekaterinburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $350 in Yekaterinburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Yekaterinburg pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,369 in Yekaterinburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yekaterinburg. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yekaterinburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yekaterinburg 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Yekaterinburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.