Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yoshkar-Ola Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yoshkar-Ola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $967 in Yoshkar-Ola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,418 in Yoshkar-Ola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,870 in Yoshkar-Ola.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Yoshkar-Ola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yoshkar-Ola 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.57 ₽909

-60.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$25.60 ₽2,011

80.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.93 ₽387

79.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.25 ₽98.3

144.80%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.72 ₽56.3

1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.42 ₽32.86

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.01 ₽79.1

140.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.22 ₽253

17.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.06 ₽83.1

113.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.58 ₽45.45

212.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.36 ₽107

65.44%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.61 ₽126

39.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.27 ₽807

89.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.72 ₽371

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.84 ₽695

47.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.72 ₽135

87.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.66 ₽131

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.98 ₽155

20.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.55 ₽201

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.70 ₽54.8

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.68 ₽53.1

120.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.24 ₽97.4

-20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.77 ₽60.2

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.87 ₽226

54.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.64 ₽757

90.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.17 ₽91.6

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.07 ₽162

29.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.43 ₽33.67

227.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.93 ₽152

61.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.18 ₽13.93

477.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.46 ₽586

89.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.74 ₽57.9

77.03%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$40.9K ₽3.2M

-31.92%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.8K ₽2.5M

4.46%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$114 ₽8,951

7.46%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.61 ₽441

142.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.37 ₽579

153.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$36.98 ₽2,905

63.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.62 ₽441

61.39%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$339 ₽26.7K

108.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,968 ₽311.8K

298.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$82.8 ₽6,502

-29.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$77.3 ₽6,069

-54.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$144 ₽11.3K

-19.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$111 ₽8,728

-24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$321 ₽25.2K

95.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$250 ₽19.7K

77.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$512 ₽40.2K

298.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$377 ₽29.6K

295.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,308 ₽102.8K

166.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,242 ₽97.6K

107.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$521 ₽40.9K

-4.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.5

-57.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Yoshkar-Ola: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $321 in Yoshkar-Ola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yoshkar-Ola pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Yoshkar-Ola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $195 per month, with Yoshkar-Ola 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 Yoshkar-Ola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yoshkar-Ola is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Yoshkar-Ola. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $321 in Yoshkar-Ola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $339 in Yoshkar-Ola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yoshkar-Ola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $967 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yoshkar-Ola but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yoshkar-Ola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yoshkar-Ola 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 Yoshkar-Ola 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 Yoshkar-Ola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.