Cost of Living Comparison Between Yoshkar-Ola and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yoshkar-Ola and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,432 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,904 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Yoshkar-Ola costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yoshkar-Ola 28% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 ₽837

$4.70 ฿153

143.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.48 ₽1,859

$45.37 ฿1,482

-43.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 ₽375

$8.43 ฿275

-39.03%

Cappuccino

$1.24 ₽90.8

$2.93 ฿95.6

-57.68%

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

$0.71 ₽52.0

$0.69 ฿22.40

2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₽30.92

$0.37 ฿11.99

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ₽75.8

$2.41 ฿78.6

-56.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₽236

$3.72 ฿122

-13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ₽76.6

$2.23 ฿72.9

-52.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 ₽45.07

$1.83 ฿59.8

-66.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₽94.4

$2.17 ฿70.8

-40.55%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽118

$2.21 ฿72.3

-27.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 ₽761

$19.74 ฿645

-47.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 ₽350

$3.63 ฿119

32.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.96 ₽654

$13.53 ฿442

-33.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 ₽128

$3.28 ฿107

-46.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₽123

$1.61 ฿52.6

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₽140

$2.41 ฿78.6

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 ₽180

$2.08 ฿68.1

18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₽55.6

$1.53 ฿49.93

-50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽48.70

$1.48 ฿48.36

-54.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽90.1

$0.99 ฿32.29

24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽53.8

$0.51 ฿16.67

45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₽217

$4.41 ฿144

-32.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 ₽822

$19.38 ฿633

-41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₽86.2

$1.78 ฿58.1

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₽156

$2.71 ฿88.6

-21.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ₽30.84

$1.37 ฿44.79

-69.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₽140

$3.02 ฿98.6

-36.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ₽11.90

$0.99 ฿32.48

-83.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.63 ₽557

$14.10 ฿461

-45.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₽52.3

$1.36 ฿44.51

-47.06%

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

$40.5K ₽3.0M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

43.68%

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

$32.0K ₽2.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.77%

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

$114 ₽8,352

$122 ฿3,975

-5.97%

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

$5.49 ₽401

$13.57 ฿443

-59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.20 ₽526

$18.31 ฿598

-60.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 ₽2,678

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₽406

$8.69 ฿284

-35.90%

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

$344 ₽25.1K

$693 ฿22.6K

-50.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,989 ₽291.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-74.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 ₽6,090

$59.5 ฿1,944

40.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.7 ₽5,452

$34.77 ฿1,136

114.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽10.5K

$115 ฿3,743

25.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₽8,291

$83.3 ฿2,720

36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₽23.6K

$613 ฿20.0K

-47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₽18.4K

$437 ฿14.3K

-42.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₽37.6K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-75.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₽27.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-75.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,367 ₽99.8K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 ₽96.5K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-49.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 ₽40.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

8.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

5.33

134.52%

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

Last update for Yoshkar-Ola: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $324 in Yoshkar-Ola and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yoshkar-Ola pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Yoshkar-Ola vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $293 per month, with Yoshkar-Ola 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

Yoshkar-Ola vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yoshkar-Ola is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Yoshkar-Ola pays 8% 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: $324 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $344 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yoshkar-Ola – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in Yoshkar-Ola versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yoshkar-Ola but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yoshkar-Ola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yoshkar-Ola 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, Yoshkar-Ola 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 Yoshkar-Ola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.