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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,135 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,698 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,261 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$9.79 ₽760

-53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$38.39 ₽2,981

20.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$5.55 ₽431

55.86%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.33 ₽181

32.62%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$1.13 ₽87.8

-39.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.49 ₽37.71

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$1.43 ₽111

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.49 ₽193

53.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$2.11 ₽164

3.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$0.95 ₽74.1

91.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$1.41 ₽110

54.61%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$2.87 ₽223

-21.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$11.55 ₽897

72.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$6.45 ₽501

-43.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$10.83 ₽841

25.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.96 ₽230

11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$3.55 ₽276

-52.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$4.02 ₽312

-42.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$4.85 ₽377

-58.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.93 ₽72.2

72.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.97 ₽75.6

53.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$1.69 ₽132

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.98 ₽76.0

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.86 ₽222

55.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$9.18 ₽713

102.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$0.96 ₽74.8

86.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$1.91 ₽148

46.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.40 ₽31.04

255.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.93 ₽150

60.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.55 ₽42.66

89.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$6.25 ₽485

118.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.79 ₽61.6

65.82%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$34.3K ₽2.7M

-20.50%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.3K ₽1.8M

42.88%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$171 ₽13.3K

-27.87%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$7.95 ₽617

73.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$12.93 ₽1,004

43.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$56.2 ₽4,366

7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$5.98 ₽464

48.66%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$324 ₽25.2K

111.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$7,054 ₽547.7K

120.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$68.7 ₽5,336

-16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$44.77 ₽3,476

-22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$116 ₽8,983

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$94.8 ₽7,356

-10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$446 ₽34.6K

38.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$309 ₽24.0K

43.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$772 ₽60.0K

165.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$512 ₽39.8K

193.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$3,863 ₽299.9K

-7.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$2,322 ₽180.3K

8.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$1,260 ₽97.8K

-60.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.67

-63.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $446 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk pays 151% 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 $38.00 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $274 per month, with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 151% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $446 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $324 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,135 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.