Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Aktau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $790 in Aktau, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Aktau $790

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,315 in Aktau, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Aktau $1,315

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,840 in Aktau, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Aktau $1,840

Phuket costs about 62% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Aktau are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Aktau 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.03 ₸5,002

-59.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$43.54 ₸19.7K

-25.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.90 ₸4,492

-11.01%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.59 ₸1,177

9.27%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.79 ₸356

10.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.49 ₸222

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.37 ₸620

86.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.59 ₸720

131.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.47 ₸669

12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.50 ₸228

192.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.90 ₸860

-21.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.69 ₸768

23.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.02 ₸4,543

90.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.16 ₸1,885

-20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.58 ₸3,892

27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.53 ₸693

91.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.32 ₸1,054

-27.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.34 ₸1,063

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.78 ₸1,262

-25.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.66 ₸301

128.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.57 ₸260

142.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.48 ₸673

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.91 ₸413

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.59 ₸1,176

62.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.37 ₸4,249

100.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.78 ₸354

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$0.92 ₸417

208.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.16 ₸70.4

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.09 ₸496

177.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.64 ₸291

59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.66 ₸301

122.73%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$31.4K ₸14.2M

-15.02%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$45.62 ₸20.7K

111.20%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.07 ₸3,662

39.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$10.70 ₸4,852

57.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$36.05 ₸16.4K

86.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.03 ₸1,373

147.52%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$146 ₸66.2K

225.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,678 ₸1.2M

320.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$67.3 ₸30.5K

-7.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$39.80 ₸18.1K

-28.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$71.6 ₸32.5K

31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$89.2 ₸40.5K

-3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$328 ₸149.0K

117.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$193 ₸87.8K

153.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$544 ₸246.7K

254.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$393 ₸178.2K

264.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$806 ₸365.8K

417.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$657 ₸297.9K

363.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$553 ₸250.8K

-9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Aktau

$193 24.5% 60.6% $297

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 24.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Aktau

$64 8.2% 48.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 1.1% $1.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Aktau

$164 20.8% 34.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 48.8% $40

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6% 93% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $328 in Aktau. 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 10% higher in Aktau, 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 $32 in Phuket versus $44 in Aktau. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $200 in Aktau – so Aktau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

09:51 9:51 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

273,830

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Aktau 6,050 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Aktau

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

Phuket vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 62% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,185 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $44 in Aktau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.