Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $997 in Samara versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,718 in Samara versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,440 in Samara versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Samara costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samara 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.92 ₽954

$4.70 ฿154

174.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 ₽3,727

$45.37 ฿1,483

11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 ₽415

$8.43 ฿276

-33.21%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ₽171

$2.93 ฿95.7

-20.82%

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

$1.17 ₽86.5

$0.69 ฿22.42

69.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽51.3

$0.37 ฿12.00

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₽82.9

$2.41 ฿78.7

-53.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₽186

$3.72 ฿122

-32.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₽79.2

$2.23 ฿73.0

-52.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 ₽44.69

$1.83 ฿59.9

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ₽91.8

$2.17 ฿70.9

-42.86%

Eggs

$1.80 ₽133

$2.21 ฿72.4

-18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 ₽659

$19.74 ฿645

-54.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 ₽376

$3.63 ฿119

40.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 ₽641

$13.53 ฿442

-35.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 ₽115

$3.28 ฿107

-52.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₽136

$1.61 ฿52.7

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 ₽161

$2.41 ฿78.7

-9.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₽171

$2.08 ฿68.1

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₽46.83

$1.53 ฿49.97

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ₽37.96

$1.48 ฿48.41

-65.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 ₽133

$0.99 ฿32.32

81.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽44.75

$0.51 ฿16.68

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽228

$4.41 ฿144

-29.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 ₽363

$19.38 ฿634

-74.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₽64.2

$1.78 ฿58.1

-51.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₽172

$2.71 ฿88.7

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₽37.05

$1.37 ฿44.83

-63.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 ₽2,994

$11.39 ฿372

256.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ₽253

$3.02 ฿98.7

13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ₽28.61

$0.99 ฿32.51

-60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ₽275

$14.10 ฿461

-73.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 ₽55.0

$1.36 ฿44.55

-45.59%

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

$48.7K ₽3.6M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

72.61%

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

$44.6K ₽3.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

35.65%

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

$121 ₽8,917

$122 ฿3,978

-0.71%

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

$6.46 ₽477

$13.57 ฿444

-52.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.49 ₽627

$18.31 ฿599

-53.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.59 ₽2,552

$60.2 ฿1,969

-42.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 ₽1,011

$17.14 ฿560

-20.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 ₽299

$8.69 ฿284

-53.39%

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

$313 ₽23.1K

$693 ฿22.7K

-54.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,042 ₽445.8K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 ₽7,333

$59.5 ฿1,946

66.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.35 ₽3,568

$34.77 ฿1,137

39.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₽9,549

$115 ฿3,746

12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ₽5,515

$83.3 ฿2,723

-10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 ₽34.6K

$613 ฿20.0K

-23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₽20.8K

$437 ฿14.3K

-35.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 ₽91.1K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-41.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ₽52.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-52.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,030 ₽76.0K

$508 ฿16.6K

102.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

5.33

187.62%

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

Last update for Samara: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Samara and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Samara vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $293, with Samara cheaper for home cooking.

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

Samara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Samara pays 103% 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: $469 in Samara versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Samara 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 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $997 in Samara versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samara 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, Samara 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 Samara 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.