Cost of Living Comparison Between Shchelkovo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shchelkovo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $896 in Shchelkovo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,407 in Shchelkovo versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Shchelkovo versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Shchelkovo costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shchelkovo 35% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.79 ₽487

$4.41 ฿147

31.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.30 ₽2,465

$32.26 ฿1,074

-9.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 ₽653

$8.93 ฿297

-12.99%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ₽233

$2.90 ฿96.4

-4.48%

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

$0.89 ₽74.9

$0.88 ฿29.30

1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽48.24

$0.48 ฿16.01

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 ₽75.5

$2.35 ฿78.3

-61.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₽121

$3.72 ฿124

-61.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 ₽79.6

$1.87 ฿62.1

-49.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₽66.1

$1.47 ฿48.81

-46.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ₽96.4

$1.55 ฿51.7

-25.81%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽129

$2.10 ฿70.0

-27.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 ₽747

$19.59 ฿652

-54.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 ₽406

$3.42 ฿114

41.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 ₽974

$11.38 ฿379

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 ₽130

$2.98 ฿99.3

-47.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ₽121

$1.68 ฿56.1

-14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ₽126

$2.21 ฿73.5

-32.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ₽212

$2.16 ฿72.0

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₽58.3

$1.52 ฿50.8

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₽33.13

$1.34 ฿44.55

-70.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ₽115

$1.13 ฿37.57

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₽35.80

$0.55 ฿18.19

-21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 ₽177

$4.26 ฿142

-50.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 ₽580

$19.09 ฿635

-63.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽59.5

$1.78 ฿59.2

-60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₽125

$2.78 ฿92.6

-46.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽41.04

$2.23 ฿74.2

-78.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 ₽286

$3.03 ฿101

12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ₽13.61

$1.02 ฿34.06

-84.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 ₽288

$3.89 ฿130

-12.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 ₽63.7

$1.49 ฿49.63

-48.99%

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

$34.4K ₽2.9M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

29.26%

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

$46.6K ₽3.9M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

72.51%

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

$101 ₽8,527

$102 ฿3,411

-1.09%

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

$3.42 ₽288

$11.33 ฿377

-69.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.62 ₽389

$17.40 ฿579

-73.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.45 ₽2,899

$52.1 ฿1,734

-33.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.93 ₽1,929

$11.07 ฿369

107.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 ₽500

$7.69 ฿256

-22.76%

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

$176 ₽14.8K

$561 ฿18.7K

-68.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,491 ₽293.7K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-69.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.33 ₽3,478

$63.0 ฿2,098

-34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.17 ₽1,949

$29.52 ฿983

-21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 ₽11.6K

$98.0 ฿3,263

40.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₽9,934

$88.5 ฿2,946

33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₽37.5K

$738 ฿24.6K

-39.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 ₽25.6K

$482 ฿16.1K

-36.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₽66.1K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-62.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 ₽44.5K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-56.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 ₽187.8K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-38.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 ₽120.6K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-44.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

5.57

272.53%

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

Last update for Shchelkovo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Shchelkovo and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shchelkovo vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $274 per month, with Shchelkovo cheaper across the board.

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

Shchelkovo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shchelkovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,344 in Shchelkovo and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $446 in Shchelkovo versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Shchelkovo versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shchelkovo – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Shchelkovo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shchelkovo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shchelkovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shchelkovo 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, Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.