Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustavi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustavi: $848 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rustavi
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Rustavi Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Rustavi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$848

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rustavi 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 Rustavi and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Rustavi versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Rustavi $848
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,263 in Rustavi versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Rustavi $1,263
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,679 in Rustavi versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Rustavi $1,679
Phuket $3,115

Living in Rustavi costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rustavi 37% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₾26.38

$4.39 ฿148

132.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.57 ₾79.1

$32.31 ฿1,090

-5.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 ₾27.48

$8.70 ฿294

22.07%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ₾5.15

$2.72 ฿91.9

-26.84%

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

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.93 ฿31.39

-19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₾1.32

$0.50 ฿16.85

2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ₾3.20

$2.53 ฿85.4

-50.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$3.63 ฿122

-45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ₾4.48

$1.74 ฿58.7

-0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₾1.31

$1.45 ฿48.95

-64.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.15

$1.50 ฿50.7

-18.67%

Eggs

$2.34 ₾6.06

$2.17 ฿73.3

7.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 ₾15.44

$19.09 ฿644

-68.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₾12.66

$3.40 ฿115

43.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 ₾25.10

$10.90 ฿368

-11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 ₾2.54

$2.94 ฿99.2

-66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₾4.14

$1.69 ฿57.1

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ₾3.88

$2.19 ฿74.0

-31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ₾2.81

$2.12 ฿71.7

-48.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₾1.98

$1.46 ฿49.21

-47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.70

$1.37 ฿46.15

-51.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ₾3.27

$1.08 ฿36.30

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.81

$0.55 ฿18.41

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₾8.32

$4.43 ฿149

-27.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.78 ₾9.77

$18.25 ฿616

-79.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₾4.10

$1.77 ฿59.8

-10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₾6.52

$2.88 ฿97.2

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.95

$1.45 ฿48.84

-74.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 ₾29.35

$54.9 ฿1,852

-79.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₾1.90

$1.51 ฿51.0

-51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₾0.97

$0.78 ฿26.18

-52.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 ₾10.13

$3.84 ฿130

2.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₾3.28

$1.49 ฿50.2

-14.77%

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

$23.5K ₾60.8K

$26.9K ฿907.0K

-12.58%

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

$9,645 ₾25.0K

$26.3K ฿888.9K

-63.39%

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

$77.0 ₾199

$97.8 ฿3,300

-21.29%

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

$7.84 ₾20.28

$11.29 ฿381

-30.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ₾29.78

$17.19 ฿580

-33.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.33 ₾70.7

$68.3 ฿2,305

-60.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 ₾49.97

$10.92 ฿368

76.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 ₾12.37

$7.43 ฿251

-35.67%

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

$130 ₾337

$530 ฿17.9K

-75.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,684 ₾6,946

$18.8K ฿633.7K

-85.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₾148

$61.7 ฿2,081

-7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.57 ₾105

$28.25 ฿953

43.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ₾247

$96.0 ฿3,239

-0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ₾222

$86.8 ฿2,929

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₾712

$721 ฿24.3K

-61.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₾646

$509 ฿17.2K

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₾1,197

$1,950 ฿65.8K

-76.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₾796

$1,397 ฿47.1K

-77.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₾2,684

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-75.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 ₾2,008

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-76.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$447 ₾1,156

$492 ฿16.6K

-9.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Rustavi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rustavi

$250 29.4%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 104% $259

Groceries & Markets

Rustavi

$172 20.2%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 55.5% $95

Eating Out

Rustavi

$153 18%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 21.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Rustavi

$125 14.8%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 2.2% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rustavi

$96 11.4%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 31.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Rustavi

$37 4.4%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 126% $46

Getting Around

Rustavi

$15 1.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 329% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Rustavi and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31 in Rustavi vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $267 per month, with Rustavi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Rustavi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

12:49 12:49 PM

3 h ahead of Rustavi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,333

79,308

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rustavi Phuket 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rustavi
Phuket

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

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

Rustavi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustavi is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Rustavi. 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: $275 in Rustavi versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in Rustavi versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $848 in Rustavi versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Rustavi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rustavi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rustavi and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Rustavi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.