Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yekaterinburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yekaterinburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,158 in Yekaterinburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Yekaterinburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,519 in Yekaterinburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Yekaterinburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yekaterinburg 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$13.56 ₽1,000

-65.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$49.97 ₽3,687

-9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.49 ₽479

29.89%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.71 ₽200

8.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.42 ₽105

-51.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.60 ₽44.47

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.93 ₽142

24.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.24 ₽166

66.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.15 ₽84.9

93.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.70 ₽51.8

161.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.41 ₽104

53.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.63 ₽121

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.45 ₽919

58.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.72 ₽349

-23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.68 ₽862

15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.05 ₽151

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.90 ₽140

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.41 ₽178

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.93 ₽216

-29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.69 ₽51.1

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.80 ₽58.7

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.36 ₽100

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.71 ₽52.4

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.47 ₽183

78.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.17 ₽603

137.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.14 ₽84.3

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.48 ₽183

9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.44 ₽32.46

211.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$25.34 ₽1,870

-55.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.54 ₽187

18.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.32 ₽23.92

209.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.93 ₽511

103.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.76 ₽56.0

78.95%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$31.6K ₽2.3M

-10.64%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$47.1K ₽3.5M

-30.07%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$127 ₽9,407

-4.53%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.10 ₽524

91.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$9.57 ₽706

91.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$40.96 ₽3,023

47.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$18.79 ₽1,387

-8.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.25 ₽388

65.52%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$475 ₽35.0K

46.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,844 ₽652.6K

77.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$69.0 ₽5,088

-13.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$46.05 ₽3,398

-24.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$101 ₽7,422

13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$74.8 ₽5,519

11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$584 ₽43.1K

5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$384 ₽28.4K

13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,124 ₽82.9K

86.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$779 ₽57.5K

93.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,912 ₽214.9K

28.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,920 ₽141.7K

36.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,027 ₽75.8K

-50.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.39

-67.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Yekaterinburg: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $584 in Yekaterinburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yekaterinburg pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Yekaterinburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $217, with Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yekaterinburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Yekaterinburg earns 102% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $584 in Yekaterinburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $475 in Yekaterinburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,158 in Yekaterinburg versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yekaterinburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yekaterinburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yekaterinburg 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 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 Yekaterinburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.