Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zelenograd Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zelenograd

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $909 in Zelenograd.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,478 in Zelenograd.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,048 in Zelenograd.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than in Zelenograd, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Zelenograd 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.44 ₽810

-51.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$69.0 ₽5,923

-52.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.04 ₽604

26.42%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.35 ₽116

107.41%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.73 ₽62.6

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.34 ₽28.85

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.77 ₽66.1

210.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.43 ₽122

159.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.27 ₽109

40.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.72 ₽62.2

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.54 ₽132

2.60%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.10 ₽94.0

93.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$6.80 ₽584

192.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.50 ₽386

-23.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.64 ₽828

17.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.41 ₽121

109.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.52 ₽130

13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.42 ₽122

63.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$3.98 ₽342

-47.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.77 ₽65.8

90.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.73 ₽62.4

86.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.31 ₽112

-16.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.48 ₽40.78

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.18 ₽273

34.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$11.76 ₽1,009

56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.56 ₽48.34

233.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.41 ₽121

107.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.81 ₽69.3

174.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$21.04 ₽1,806

8.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.02 ₽173

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.40 ₽34.46

167.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$5.14 ₽441

-23.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.77 ₽65.7

93.51%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$27.4K ₽2.4M

-1.09%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$27.5K ₽2.4M

-0.17%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$89.7 ₽7,698

14.60%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$4.75 ₽408

131.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$10.30 ₽884

70.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$35.31 ₽3,030

51.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$7.11 ₽610

5.20%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$312 ₽26.8K

78.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$5,972 ₽512.5K

98.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$58.0 ₽4,975

10.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$34.20 ₽2,935

-15.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$91.8 ₽7,879

4.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$46.84 ₽4,020

92.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$415 ₽35.6K

75.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$301 ₽25.8K

66.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$633 ₽54.3K

230.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$511 ₽43.9K

136.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,088 ₽179.2K

72.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,374 ₽117.9K

82.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$936 ₽80.3K

-46.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-69.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Zelenograd: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $415 in Zelenograd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zelenograd pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $69.0 in Zelenograd. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $188, with Zelenograd 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 Zelenograd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zelenograd is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Zelenograd. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $415 in Zelenograd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $312 in Zelenograd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $909 in Zelenograd versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zelenograd but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zelenograd the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zelenograd 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 Zelenograd 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 Zelenograd gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.