Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,465 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,473 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,480 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$15.57 ₽1,309

-70.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$81.4 ₽6,844

-60.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$10.91 ₽917

-20.44%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.94 ₽247

-1.36%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.70 ₽143

-50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.97 ₽81.3

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$5.02 ₽422

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.60 ₽387

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.66 ₽140

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.60 ₽134

-11.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.19 ₽184

-26.03%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.60 ₽219

-13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$15.56 ₽1,308

27.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.16 ₽602

-51.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$16.40 ₽1,378

-30.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.95 ₽332

-26.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.84 ₽238

-39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.56 ₽300

-36.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.21 ₽354

-49.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.90 ₽75.3

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.70 ₽143

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.48 ₽124

-59.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.45 ₽206

75.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.34 ₽701

123.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.79 ₽150

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.44 ₽289

-13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.39 ₽32.77

476.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.46 ₽291

-10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.80 ₽67.6

78.75%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.0K ₽1.8M

28.37%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$118 ₽9,889

-10.92%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.68 ₽813

17.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$9.65 ₽811

81.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$83.2 ₽6,993

-34.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$35.37 ₽2,973

-67.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.07 ₽426

53.45%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$148 ₽12.5K

-57.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$117 ₽9,846

-17.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$716 ₽60.2K

2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$544 ₽45.7K

-7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,570 ₽132.0K

35.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,226 ₽103.1K

2.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,424 ₽287.8K

3.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,068 ₽173.8K

26.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,185 ₽99.6K

-57.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.33

-77.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $716 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk pays 133% 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 $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $315 per month, with Phuket 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $716 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,465 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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 16% less than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.