Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Ulan Ude versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,464 in Ulan Ude versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,967 in Ulan Ude versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ulan Ude costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulan Ude 28% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 ₽729

$4.55 ฿153

103.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.70 ₽2,959

$46.18 ฿1,554

-18.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ₽470

$8.84 ฿298

-32.24%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₽180

$3.06 ฿103

-25.16%

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

$1.19 ₽93.3

$0.73 ฿24.42

63.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽37.39

$0.40 ฿13.40

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₽111

$2.43 ฿81.8

-41.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₽198

$3.78 ฿127

-33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₽91.3

$2.26 ฿76.0

-48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₽34.48

$1.81 ฿60.9

-75.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ₽107

$2.25 ฿75.8

-39.11%

Eggs

$1.72 ₽135

$2.25 ฿75.6

-23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 ₽839

$19.51 ฿656

-45.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₽385

$3.65 ฿123

34.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 ₽697

$13.05 ฿439

-31.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽136

$3.23 ฿109

-46.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽144

$1.62 ฿54.4

13.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽151

$2.38 ฿80.2

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 ₽209

$2.03 ฿68.2

31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ₽61.7

$1.53 ฿51.6

-48.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽53.0

$1.50 ฿50.5

-54.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₽110

$0.98 ฿32.93

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽53.3

$0.52 ฿17.40

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₽234

$4.44 ฿149

-32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 ₽500

$18.32 ฿616

-65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽78.7

$1.86 ฿62.7

-46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₽151

$2.68 ฿90.2

-28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽38.21

$1.41 ฿47.49

-65.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₽147

$3.11 ฿105

-39.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₽25.88

$1.04 ฿35.08

-68.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 ₽493

$14.11 ฿475

-55.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽62.6

$1.31 ฿44.13

-38.93%

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

$34.8K ₽2.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

25.23%

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

$36.0K ₽2.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

8.50%

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

$109 ₽8,585

$122 ฿4,120

-10.67%

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

$5.99 ₽470

$13.59 ฿457

-55.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.76 ₽609

$18.70 ฿629

-58.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 ₽2,821

$60.5 ฿2,035

-40.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 ₽400

$9.07 ฿305

-43.88%

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

$319 ₽25.1K

$706 ฿23.8K

-54.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,056 ₽553.8K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-55.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 ₽5,398

$58.6 ฿1,970

17.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 ₽3,490

$35.36 ฿1,190

25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ₽8,914

$115 ฿3,885

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₽8,513

$83.7 ฿2,818

29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₽35.1K

$626 ฿21.1K

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₽24.0K

$445 ฿15.0K

-31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₽59.6K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-62.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₽40.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-65.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 ₽182.8K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-33.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,802 ₽141.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-30.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 ₽52.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

34.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.33

5.33

243.90%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $447 in Ulan Ude and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulan Ude pays 34% 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 Ulan Ude vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $289 per month, with Ulan Ude 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

Ulan Ude vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulan Ude is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Ulan Ude, 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: $447 in Ulan Ude versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Ulan Ude versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulan Ude – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in Ulan Ude versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ulan Ude but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulan Ude the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulan Ude 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, Ulan Ude 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 Ulan Ude gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.