Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$926

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $926 per month in Karaganda vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Karaganda $926
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,492 per month in Karaganda vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Karaganda $1,492
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Karaganda vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Karaganda $2,058
Phuket $2,867

Karaganda is about 23% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karaganda and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Karaganda 31% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 ₸4,452

$4.58 ฿153

115.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.09 ₸15.9K

$32.48 ฿1,086

8.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ₸2,453

$8.55 ฿286

-36.49%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₸869

$2.72 ฿91.0

-29.41%

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

$0.91 ₸413

$0.94 ฿31.25

-3.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.49 ฿16.39

30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸617

$2.59 ฿86.6

-47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₸1,267

$3.83 ฿128

-26.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₸605

$1.74 ฿58.1

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₸222

$1.43 ฿47.82

-65.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ₸597

$1.53 ฿51.0

-13.73%

Eggs

$1.79 ₸808

$2.17 ฿72.7

-17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₸5,929

$19.15 ฿640

-31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ₸2,442

$3.30 ฿110

63.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ₸5,060

$11.14 ฿372

0.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 ₸673

$2.95 ฿98.5

-49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₸856

$1.68 ฿56.1

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$2.30 ฿76.8

24.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 ₸979

$2.13 ฿71.3

1.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₸301

$1.53 ฿51.1

-56.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸267

$1.36 ฿45.55

-56.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₸467

$1.12 ฿37.44

-8.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₸310

$0.55 ฿18.24

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₸1,016

$4.26 ฿142

-47.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 ₸3,813

$18.19 ฿608

-53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.74 ฿58.2

-22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.79 ฿93.3

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₸94.9

$2.22 ฿74.1

-90.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.75 ₸7,119

$22.06 ฿737

-28.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 ₸568

$2.91 ฿97.3

-56.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ₸541

$1.01 ฿33.79

18.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₸1,496

$3.83 ฿128

-13.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.49 ฿49.85

-62.42%

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

$22.0K ₸10.0M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-17.36%

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

$31.9K ₸14.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

19.60%

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

$72.2 ₸32.7K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-27.30%

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

$10.01 ₸4,523

$11.28 ฿377

-11.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.86 ₸5,360

$17.36 ฿580

-31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 ₸20.8K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 ₸8,505

$10.85 ฿362

73.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₸2,416

$7.57 ฿253

-29.46%

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

$135 ₸60.8K

$558 ฿18.7K

-75.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₸26.6K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$28.58 ฿955

102.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₸35.8K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 ₸38.7K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₸178.2K

$729 ฿24.4K

-45.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₸123.2K

$460 ฿15.4K

-40.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₸333.5K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₸242.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-56.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 ₸476.1K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-69.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 ₸321.5K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-71.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 ₸257.3K

$493 ฿16.5K

15.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

5.57

245.60%

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

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaganda

$273 29.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 68.7% $187

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$215 23.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 24.3% $52

Eating Out

Karaganda

$137 14.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 11.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$127 13.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 2% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 36% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$57 6.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 18.9% $11

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 63.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Karaganda versus $729 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 15% higher in Karaganda, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Karaganda versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Karaganda vs $268 in Phuket – so Karaganda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

16:16 4:16 PM

1 h ahead of Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

79,308

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karaganda Phuket 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

Karaganda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $926 in Karaganda, $1,207 in Phuket – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,389 per month in Karaganda and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Karaganda and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $926 in Karaganda to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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