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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,010 in Zelenograd.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,612 in Zelenograd.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,214 in Zelenograd.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Zelenograd, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zelenograd 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$12.90 ₽942

-63.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$58.7 ₽4,281

-22.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.23 ₽454

35.31%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.99 ₽145

47.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.00 ₽73.3

-31.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.57 ₽41.69

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.36 ₽99.4

77.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.53 ₽112

143.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.14 ₽83.2

95.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.55 ₽40.30

232.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.30 ₽95.2

66.92%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.70 ₽124

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.60 ₽555

159.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.25 ₽237

11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$3.79 ₽277

256.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.85 ₽135

77.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.03 ₽148

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.28 ₽166

5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.21 ₽307

-50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.02 ₽74.6

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.84 ₽61.1

76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.03 ₽75.4

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.65 ₽47.77

-21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.11 ₽227

41.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.79 ₽641

120.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.12 ₽81.7

58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.34 ₽171

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.60 ₽43.93

128.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$19.10 ₽1,394

-40.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.60 ₽44.05

403.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.48 ₽35.24

106.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.01 ₽584

76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.81 ₽59.5

67.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$37.8K ₽2.8M

-25.44%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.1K ₽2.0M

17.18%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$97.3 ₽7,099

25.14%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.88 ₽429

130.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$8.02 ₽585

128.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$35.55 ₽2,595

69.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$38.53 ₽2,813

-55.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.43 ₽469

35.15%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$319 ₽23.3K

117.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,057 ₽515.1K

122.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$72.7 ₽5,307

-18.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$52.9 ₽3,860

-34.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$134 ₽9,803

-14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$113 ₽8,252

-26.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$436 ₽31.8K

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$301 ₽22.0K

45.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$770 ₽56.2K

171.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$502 ₽36.7K

200.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,521 ₽184.0K

48.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,649 ₽120.3K

58.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,091 ₽79.7K

-53.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.5

-60.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zelenograd: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $436 in Zelenograd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zelenograd pays 115% 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 $59.0 in Zelenograd. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $176, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zelenograd earns 115% 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 $436 in Zelenograd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $319 in Zelenograd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,010 in Zelenograd versus $1,265 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.