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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $939 in Zlatoust.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,443 in Zlatoust.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,947 in Zlatoust.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than Zlatoust, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Zlatoust 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$6.52 ₽490

-28.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$37.76 ₽2,833

22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.68 ₽426

52.82%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.30 ₽173

28.26%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.08 ₽81.1

-35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.49 ₽36.65

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.43 ₽107

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.52 ₽189

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.10 ₽82.6

101.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.70 ₽52.5

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.39 ₽104

57.55%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.80 ₽135

28.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.78 ₽809

79.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.87 ₽366

-22.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.96 ₽673

47.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.80 ₽135

85.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.90 ₽142

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.89 ₽142

21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.71 ₽204

-26.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.86 ₽64.5

77.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.67 ₽50.5

125.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.41 ₽106

-26.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.67 ₽50.1

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$3.01 ₽226

46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$5.54 ₽416

250.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.00 ₽75.3

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.86 ₽140

44.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.49 ₽36.54

191.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.87 ₽140

62.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 ₽26.58

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.42 ₽482

113.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.78 ₽58.6

66.67%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$33.6K ₽2.5M

-17.03%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.3K ₽2.7M

-6.46%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$108 ₽8,130

13.50%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$5.85 ₽439

136.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.90 ₽593

138.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$35.05 ₽2,630

74.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.01 ₽376

77.05%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$318 ₽23.8K

119.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,093 ₽532.3K

126.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$68.8 ₽5,165

-13.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$44.05 ₽3,306

-20.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$115 ₽8,604

-1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$107 ₽8,061

-20.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$439 ₽33.0K

40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$307 ₽23.0K

46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$755 ₽56.7K

176.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$500 ₽37.5K

199.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$654 ₽49.1K

-18.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Zlatoust: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $439 in Zlatoust. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zlatoust pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $38 in Zlatoust for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $193 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zlatoust earns 23% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $439 in Zlatoust. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $318 in Zlatoust. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zlatoust – 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 $939 in Zlatoust versus $1,270 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 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.