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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $960 in Yoshkar-Ola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,432 in Yoshkar-Ola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,904 in Yoshkar-Ola.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than 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

$4.70 ฿153

$11.46 ₽837

-58.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$25.48 ₽1,859

78.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.14 ₽375

64.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.24 ₽90.8

136.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.71 ₽52.0

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.42 ₽30.92

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.04 ₽75.8

131.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.23 ₽236

15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.05 ₽76.6

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.62 ₽45.07

195.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.29 ₽94.4

68.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.61 ₽118

37.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.43 ₽761

89.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.80 ₽350

-24.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.96 ₽654

51.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.76 ₽128

86.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.69 ₽123

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.92 ₽140

25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.46 ₽180

-15.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.76 ₽55.6

101.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.67 ₽48.70

120.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.23 ₽90.1

-19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 ₽53.8

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.97 ₽217

48.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.26 ₽822

72.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.18 ₽86.2

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.14 ₽156

26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.42 ₽30.84

226.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.92 ₽140

57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.16 ₽11.90

518.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.63 ₽557

84.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.72 ₽52.3

88.89%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$40.5K ₽3.0M

-30.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.0K ₽2.3M

2.84%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$114 ₽8,352

6.35%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.49 ₽401

147.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.20 ₽526

154.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.69 ₽2,678

64.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.57 ₽406

56.01%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$344 ₽25.1K

101.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,989 ₽291.2K

293.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$83.4 ₽6,090

-28.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$74.7 ₽5,452

-53.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$144 ₽10.5K

-20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$114 ₽8,291

-26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$324 ₽23.6K

89.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$252 ₽18.4K

73.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$516 ₽37.6K

306.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$376 ₽27.4K

301.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,367 ₽99.8K

174.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,322 ₽96.5K

97.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$551 ₽40.2K

-7.80%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Yoshkar-Ola: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $324 in Yoshkar-Ola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yoshkar-Ola pays 8% 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 $25.00 in Yoshkar-Ola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $199 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Yoshkar-Ola earns 8% 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 $324 in Yoshkar-Ola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $344 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 $25.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $1,265 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.