Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rostov-on-Don and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,146 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rostov-on-Don and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rostov-on-Don and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Rostov-on-Don $1,146
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Rostov-on-Don $1,600
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,055 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Rostov-on-Don $2,055
Phuket $2,867

Living in Rostov-on-Don costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rostov-on-Don 15% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.73 ₽895

$4.40 ฿147

143.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 ₽2,046

$32.26 ฿1,078

-23.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₽498

$8.76 ฿293

-31.85%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ₽247

$2.83 ฿94.5

4.59%

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

$1.12 ₽93.5

$0.90 ฿30.14

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽42.78

$0.47 ฿15.56

8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽102

$2.55 ฿85.2

-51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₽259

$3.83 ฿128

-18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.73 ฿57.7

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₽62.1

$1.47 ฿49.11

-49.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ₽102

$1.51 ฿50.6

-19.21%

Eggs

$1.44 ₽120

$2.17 ฿72.7

-33.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₽775

$19.70 ฿658

-52.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 ₽448

$3.34 ฿112

60.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 ₽664

$11.16 ฿373

-28.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 ₽120

$2.85 ฿95.1

-49.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽155

$1.70 ฿56.9

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₽120

$2.19 ฿73.3

-34.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₽192

$2.05 ฿68.4

12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.6

$1.45 ฿48.57

-53.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽52.6

$1.38 ฿46.16

-54.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₽83.5

$1.07 ฿35.69

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽54.4

$0.51 ฿16.91

27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 ₽230

$4.26 ฿142

-35.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 ₽508

$18.58 ฿621

-67.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₽80.6

$1.78 ฿59.7

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₽175

$2.85 ฿95.2

-26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₽42.79

$2.26 ฿75.6

-77.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.40 ₽1,202

$22.10 ฿738

-34.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₽299

$3.01 ฿101

18.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₽12.09

$1.06 ฿35.34

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 ₽338

$3.86 ฿129

4.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$1.45 ฿48.45

-44.14%

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

$52.1K ₽4.3M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

97.93%

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

$40.8K ₽3.4M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

51.61%

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

$124 ₽10.3K

$96.4 ฿3,221

28.14%

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

$7.47 ₽623

$11.04 ฿369

-32.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 ₽747

$17.14 ฿573

-47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.64 ₽2,891

$52.2 ฿1,744

-33.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 ₽1,778

$11.16 ฿373

90.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 ₽459

$7.81 ฿261

-29.58%

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

$365 ₽30.4K

$556 ฿18.6K

-34.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ₽4,661

$64.2 ฿2,146

-13.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 ₽3,760

$28.69 ฿959

57.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₽9,013

$95.4 ฿3,187

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₽8,832

$88.0 ฿2,940

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 ₽53.6K

$737 ฿24.6K

-12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$462 ฿15.5K

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 ₽74.8K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ₽47.7K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-52.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 ₽196.5K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-32.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 ₽125.8K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-40.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 ₽68.8K

$501 ฿16.7K

64.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.83

5.57

256.01%

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

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 0.5% $2.5

Groceries & Markets

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 49.3% $89

Eating Out

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 23.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 11% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 48.6% $22

Getting Around

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 90.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Rostov-on-Don and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $268 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

4 h ahead of Rostov-on-Don

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,114,806

79,308

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rostov-on-Don Phuket 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rostov-on-Don
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rostov-on-Don vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Rostov-on-Don, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $642 in Rostov-on-Don versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $365 in Rostov-on-Don versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rostov-on-Don 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, Rostov-on-Don and Phuket 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 Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.