Cost of Living Comparison Between Shakhty and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shakhty and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $954 in Shakhty versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,471 in Shakhty versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,988 in Shakhty versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Shakhty costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shakhty 29% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.33 ₽700

$4.66 ฿150

100.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.47 ₽2,812

$46.44 ฿1,496

-19.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 ₽437

$8.68 ฿280

-32.83%

Cappuccino

$2.36 ₽177

$2.95 ฿95.0

-20.00%

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

$1.13 ₽84.9

$0.70 ฿22.52

61.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₽38.68

$0.39 ฿12.70

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₽103

$2.53 ฿81.6

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 ₽193

$3.78 ฿122

-31.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₽83.9

$2.22 ฿71.5

-49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽53.2

$1.80 ฿57.8

-60.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ₽108

$2.19 ฿70.4

-34.70%

Eggs

$1.80 ₽135

$2.31 ฿74.5

-22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₽809

$19.34 ฿623

-44.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₽359

$3.77 ฿121

26.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 ₽654

$13.22 ฿426

-34.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₽137

$3.33 ฿107

-45.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₽136

$1.65 ฿53.1

9.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₽143

$2.29 ฿73.7

-17.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 ₽209

$1.99 ฿64.1

40.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ₽58.6

$1.53 ฿49.24

-49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽50.4

$1.51 ฿48.77

-55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₽106

$1.03 ฿33.12

36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽52.9

$0.51 ฿16.57

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₽222

$4.41 ฿142

-32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₽621

$19.41 ฿625

-57.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₽74.5

$1.80 ฿58.0

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₽146

$2.68 ฿86.4

-27.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽40.16

$1.43 ฿46.11

-62.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₽142

$3.04 ฿97.9

-37.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₽24.54

$1.04 ฿33.37

-68.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 ₽483

$13.68 ฿441

-52.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₽54.1

$1.30 ฿41.85

-44.62%

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

$34.3K ₽2.6M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

22.78%

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

$35.8K ₽2.7M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

8.23%

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

$111 ₽8,311

$123 ฿3,962

-9.93%

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

$5.97 ₽448

$13.82 ฿445

-56.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.67 ₽575

$18.86 ฿608

-59.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₽2,700

$61.2 ฿1,970

-41.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ₽372

$8.87 ฿286

-44.08%

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

$323 ₽24.2K

$696 ฿22.4K

-53.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,945 ₽521.2K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-56.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₽5,275

$59.3 ฿1,910

18.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.28 ₽3,398

$34.85 ฿1,123

29.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ₽8,550

$113 ฿3,646

0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₽8,154

$85.1 ฿2,740

27.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₽33.9K

$615 ฿19.8K

-26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₽23.0K

$448 ฿14.4K

-31.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₽57.0K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-63.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 ₽37.7K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-66.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,111 ₽158.4K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-43.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 ₽123.0K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-38.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 ₽30.2K

$534 ฿17.2K

-24.53%

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 Shakhty: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Shakhty and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% 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: $37 in Shakhty vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $291 per month, with Shakhty 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

Shakhty vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shakhty is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 33% 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: $452 in Shakhty versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Shakhty versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shakhty – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $954 in Shakhty versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shakhty but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shakhty the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shakhty 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, Shakhty 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 Shakhty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.