Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zlatoust Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zlatoust

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $674 in Zlatoust.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $952 in Zlatoust.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,230 in Zlatoust.

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than in Zlatoust, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zlatoust 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.26 ₽442

-11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.35 ₽2,467

9.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.84 ₽406

79.34%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.14 ₽264

-7.64%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.72 ₽144

-51.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.17 ₽98.2

-58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.25 ₽189

10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.20 ₽353

-11.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.09 ₽91.3

73.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.71 ₽59.3

98.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.19 ₽100

36.13%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.53 ₽129

46.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.67 ₽897

85.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.97 ₽418

-29.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.70 ₽816

17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.71 ₽144

69.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.77 ₽149

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.70 ₽143

33.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.00 ₽252

-29.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.72 ₽60.1

104.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.72 ₽60.5

97.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.53 ₽129

-28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.37 ₽30.71

62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.68 ₽225

60.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.85 ₽408

283.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.72 ₽60.4

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.72 ₽144

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.42 ₽35.48

435.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.78 ₽65.4

83.33%

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

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

$105 ฿3,462

$108 ₽9,078

-2.97%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$3.48 ₽292

227.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$7.15 ₽601

145.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$285 ₽24.0K

156.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$233 ₽19.6K

115.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$353 ₽29.7K

502.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$287 ₽24.1K

336.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$584 ₽49.1K

-13.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Zlatoust: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $285 in Zlatoust. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zlatoust pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Zlatoust for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $187 per month, with Zlatoust 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 Zlatoust: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zlatoust is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Zlatoust. 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 $285 in Zlatoust. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zlatoust – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $674 in Zlatoust versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zlatoust but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zlatoust the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zlatoust 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 Zlatoust 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 Zlatoust gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.