Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volgograd and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Volgograd: $892 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Volgograd, Russia
Phuket, Thailand
Volgograd
🇷🇺 Russia
$892
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Volgograd versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Volgograd $892
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Volgograd versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Volgograd $1,474
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,057 in Volgograd versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Volgograd $2,057
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Volgograd costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Volgograd 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.64 ₽534
$4.47 ฿151
48.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.28 ₽3,966
$32.41 ฿1,094
52.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.40 ₽515
$8.81 ฿297
-27.36%
Cappuccino
$2.84 ₽229
$2.83 ฿95.5
0.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 ₽77.7
$0.87 ฿29.43
10.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₽48.46
$0.49 ฿16.67
22.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.21 ₽97.7
$2.56 ฿86.4
-52.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 ₽148
$3.68 ฿124
-50.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 ₽86.2
$1.66 ฿56.0
-35.54%
White Bread (500g)
$0.61 ₽49.24
$1.46 ฿49.35
-58.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 ₽94.2
$1.50 ฿50.6
-22.00%
Eggs
$1.44 ₽116
$2.09 ฿70.5
-31.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.41 ₽596
$19.07 ฿644
-61.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.77 ₽384
$3.30 ฿111
44.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.62 ₽935
$10.91 ฿368
6.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.24 ₽100.0
$2.93 ฿99.0
-57.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 ₽122
$1.69 ฿57.1
-10.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.53 ₽123
$2.25 ฿75.8
-32.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.53 ₽203
$2.08 ฿70.1
21.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₽60.0
$1.51 ฿51.0
-50.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 ₽38.57
$1.38 ฿46.56
-65.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.36 ₽28.84
$1.07 ฿35.99
-66.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₽51.0
$0.52 ฿17.52
21.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.93 ₽236
$4.20 ฿142
-30.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.36 ₽753
$18.79 ฿634
-50.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 ₽90.3
$1.82 ฿61.5
-38.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₽157
$2.84 ฿95.9
-31.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 ₽41.46
$1.45 ฿49.03
-64.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.64 ₽1,339
$56.7 ฿1,913
-70.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.02 ฿102
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.02 ฿34.36
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.10 ₽250
$3.69 ฿125
-15.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 ₽71.3
$1.47 ฿49.81
-39.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.9K ₽4.3M
$26.8K ฿904.3K
101.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.4K ₽3.3M
$26.7K ฿901.3K
55.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.3 ₽7,107
$96.4 ฿3,254
-8.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.47 ₽842
$11.26 ฿380
-7.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.00 ₽644
$16.85 ฿569
-52.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.2 ฿2,270
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.50 ฿253
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$476 ฿16.1K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 ₽9,113
$62.4 ฿2,106
81.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$74.2 ₽5,974
$28.41 ฿959
161.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.7 ₽4,404
$94.3 ฿3,184
-41.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$187 ₽15.1K
$85.8 ฿2,898
118.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$609 ₽49.0K
$716 ฿24.2K
-14.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$268 ₽21.6K
$491 ฿16.6K
-45.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,233 ₽99.2K
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-36.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$557 ₽44.9K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-61.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,459 ₽117.5K
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-65.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,372 ₽110.5K
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-54.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Volgograd
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$615 ₽49.5K
$502 ฿17.0K
22.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.33
5.57
282.94%

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

Last update for Volgograd: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Volgograd
$268
Phuket
$491 83.1% $223
Clothing & Footwear
Volgograd
$193
Phuket
$122 36.9% $71
Groceries & Markets
Volgograd
$183
Phuket
$266 45.7% $84
Eating Out
Volgograd
$122
Phuket
$122 0.6% $0.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Volgograd
$107
Phuket
$124 16.6% $18
Getting Around
Volgograd
$19 *
Phuket
$71 277% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Volgograd
- *
Phuket
$82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $609 in Volgograd and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Volgograd pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49 in Volgograd vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $266, with Volgograd cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Volgograd
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
17:24 5:24 PM
21:24 9:24 PM
4 h ahead of Volgograd
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,004,763
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.49 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.59 RUB (100 RUB = 1.12 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Volgograd Phuket 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Volgograd
  • Phuket

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

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
Volgograd vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Volgograd cheaper than Phuket?
Volgograd is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Volgograd or Phuket?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Volgograd, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Volgograd and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $609 in Volgograd versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Volgograd or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $49 in Volgograd. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Volgograd runs roughly 71% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Volgograd or in Phuket?
At $892 in Volgograd versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Volgograd but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Volgograd the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Volgograd or in Phuket?
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.

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