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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,555 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,113 in Rostov-on-Don versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Rostov-on-Don costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rostov-on-Don 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₽829

$4.70 ฿154

139.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.44 ₽2,836

$45.37 ฿1,483

-15.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ₽369

$8.43 ฿276

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₽186

$2.93 ฿95.7

-14.33%

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

$1.20 ₽88.8

$0.69 ฿22.42

73.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽51.5

$0.37 ฿12.00

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ₽91.3

$2.41 ฿78.7

-48.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₽168

$3.72 ฿122

-38.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₽75.4

$2.23 ฿73.0

-54.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₽40.41

$1.83 ฿59.9

-69.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ₽84.9

$2.17 ฿70.9

-47.00%

Eggs

$1.57 ₽116

$2.21 ฿72.4

-28.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 ₽599

$19.74 ฿645

-58.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₽352

$3.63 ฿119

31.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 ₽545

$13.53 ฿442

-45.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 ₽93.2

$3.28 ฿107

-61.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₽121

$1.61 ฿52.7

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ₽108

$2.41 ฿78.7

-39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₽178

$2.08 ฿68.1

15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽53.0

$1.53 ฿49.97

-52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₽41.22

$1.48 ฿48.41

-62.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₽87.7

$0.99 ฿32.32

20.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽50.0

$0.51 ฿16.68

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₽245

$4.41 ฿144

-24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 ₽586

$19.38 ฿634

-59.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽67.5

$1.78 ฿58.1

-48.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₽156

$2.71 ฿88.7

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₽37.82

$1.37 ฿44.83

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.86 ₽1,392

$11.39 ฿372

65.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₽143

$3.02 ฿98.7

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₽26.16

$0.99 ฿32.51

-64.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 ₽469

$14.10 ฿461

-54.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽57.8

$1.36 ฿44.55

-42.65%

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

$25.3K ₽1.9M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-10.29%

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

$39.9K ₽2.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

21.19%

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

$96.2 ₽7,100

$122 ฿3,978

-20.94%

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

$7.01 ₽517

$13.57 ฿444

-48.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.06 ₽595

$18.31 ฿599

-55.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 ₽2,989

$60.2 ฿1,969

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.14 ₽1,855

$17.14 ฿560

46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 ₽365

$8.69 ฿284

-43.15%

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

$288 ₽21.2K

$693 ฿22.7K

-58.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,215 ₽606.2K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-47.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.54 ₽3,582

$59.5 ฿1,946

-18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 ₽4,599

$34.77 ฿1,137

79.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₽8,322

$115 ฿3,746

-1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₽7,504

$83.3 ฿2,723

22.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₽36.1K

$613 ฿20.0K

-20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₽25.9K

$437 ฿14.3K

-19.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 ₽69.1K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-55.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 ₽42.5K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-61.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 ₽207.1K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-25.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 ₽128.3K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-33.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$966 ₽71.3K

$508 ฿16.6K

90.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

5.33

206.38%

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

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Rostov-on-Don and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Rostov-on-Don vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $293 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Rostov-on-Don pays 90% more on average, 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: $490 in Rostov-on-Don versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Rostov-on-Don versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,265 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.