Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Almaty despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Phuket $3,154

Almaty costs about 7% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,064

$4.47 ฿151

197.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$32.41 ฿1,094

38.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,070

$8.81 ฿297

1.48%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,536

$2.83 ฿95.5

19.08%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.87 ฿29.43

51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.49 ฿16.67

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$2.56 ฿86.4

23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$3.68 ฿124

7.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸755

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$1.46 ฿49.35

-41.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.50 ฿50.6

34.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$2.09 ฿70.5

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,727

$19.07 ฿644

-34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$3.30 ฿111

99.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,831

$10.91 ฿368

-2.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸815

$2.93 ฿99.0

-38.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.69 ฿57.1

36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$2.25 ฿75.8

31.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,300

$2.08 ฿70.1

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$1.51 ฿51.0

-46.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.38 ฿46.56

-57.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$1.07 ฿35.99

47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.52 ฿17.52

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,247

$4.20 ฿142

-34.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,146

$18.79 ฿634

-39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$1.82 ฿61.5

-32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$2.84 ฿95.9

-13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$1.45 ฿49.03

-82.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-61.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$3.02 ฿102

-55.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$1.02 ฿34.36

-31.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,064

$3.69 ฿125

201.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$1.47 ฿49.81

-51.02%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

6.06%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

19.13%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-5.25%

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

$10.60 ₸4,826

$11.26 ฿380

-5.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,146

$16.85 ฿569

6.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-2.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$10.73 ฿362

158.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$7.50 ฿253

-13.73%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$476 ฿16.1K

-0.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

8.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$62.4 ฿2,106

49.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$28.41 ฿959

67.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$94.3 ฿3,184

51.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.2K

$85.8 ฿2,898

56.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.4K

$716 ฿24.2K

9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$491 ฿16.6K

0.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.3K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-26.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-34.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-41.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.8K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-47.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.3K

$502 ฿17.0K

73.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

5.57

270.74%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 0.2% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 6.5% $16

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 41% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 35.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 3.9% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 5.1% $4

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 153% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 74% higher in Almaty. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $266 in Phuket – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

17:05 5:05 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

79,308

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 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).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Phuket 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Phuket

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

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

Almaty vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $780 in Almaty and $716 in Phuket. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 7%.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,362 in Almaty and $1,278 in Phuket, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,362 in Almaty. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.