Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Almaty Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Almaty

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,043 in Almaty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,668 in Almaty, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,292 in Almaty, rent included.

Phuket costs about 21% more than Almaty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Almaty are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Almaty 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.86 ₸3,837

-41.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$39.65 ₸19.4K

17.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.01 ₸3,424

20.83%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.33 ₸1,140

30.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.99 ₸482

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.57 ₸278

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.39 ₸681

79.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.90 ₸1,416

26.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.33 ₸649

63.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.56 ₸273

239.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.48 ₸725

48.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.72 ₸841

29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.77 ₸4,770

104.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.72 ₸2,304

-22.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.47 ₸3,650

77.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.35 ₸660

139.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.88 ₸918

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.95 ₸953

22.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.00 ₸976

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.63 ₸306

152.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.42 ₸206

252.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.29 ₸628

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.69 ₸338

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.90 ₸926

123.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.10 ₸4,934

86.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.83 ₸406

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.06 ₸1,005

33.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.24 ₸118

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$18.17 ₸8,875

-37.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.20 ₸585

161.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.68 ₸330

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.82 ₸2,353

185.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.48 ₸232

179.17%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.3K ₸11.4M

18.78%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.7K ₸13.0M

27.05%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$62.3 ₸30.4K

98.44%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.53 ₸4,164

58.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$13.73 ₸6,707

36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$47.82 ₸23.4K

29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$21.14 ₸10.3K

-18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.37 ₸2,621

70.20%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$264 ₸128.9K

166.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$12.9K ₸6.3M

22.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$84.6 ₸41.3K

-29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$44.14 ₸21.6K

-20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$98.0 ₸47.9K

17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$122 ₸59.5K

-31.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$658 ₸321.3K

-5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$420 ₸205.1K

3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,190 ₸581.4K

73.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$766 ₸373.9K

97.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,165 ₸1.1M

68.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,291 ₸630.5K

103.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$767 ₸374.5K

-33.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.39

-71.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Almaty: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $658 in Almaty. 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 51% higher in Almaty, 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $40.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $187 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 21%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,565 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $40.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $1,043 in Almaty. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,043, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Almaty. 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.