Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Almaty

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 Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Almaty $2,883

Phuket is about 14% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$13.31 ₸6,034

-67.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-25.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$8.80 ₸3,988

-4.32%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$3.30 ₸1,497

-14.85%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.37 ₸620

-36.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.90 ₸409

-48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.13 ₸1,419

-17.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$4.10 ₸1,860

-11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.66 ₸754

3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.90 ₸406

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.06 ₸933

-24.27%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.37 ₸1,074

-11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$12.64 ₸5,730

54.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$6.62 ₸3,000

-48.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$10.87 ₸4,928

2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$1.86 ₸845

52.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.37 ₸1,075

-31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$2.99 ₸1,358

-25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.83 ₸1,282

-24.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$0.77 ₸347

93.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$0.58 ₸264

129.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.59 ₸723

-32.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.99 ₸449

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$2.54 ₸1,153

72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$11.04 ₸5,005

70.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.21 ₸550

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.41 ₸1,093

15.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.25 ₸113

768.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$21.84 ₸9,901

2.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.28 ₸581

135.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$0.64 ₸291

65.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$10.74 ₸4,870

-65.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$0.69 ₸314

107.25%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

18.28%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-10.68%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$87.8 ₸39.8K

10.14%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$10.83 ₸4,909

5.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$17.40 ₸7,887

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-58.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$6.68 ₸3,031

14.52%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$446 ₸202.2K

24.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-5.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-39.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$143 ₸64.7K

-32.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$133 ₸60.5K

-33.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$773 ₸350.6K

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$497 ₸225.5K

-7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,390 ₸630.4K

51.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$880 ₸398.9K

34.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

37.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

65.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$834 ₸377.9K

-39.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.65

-73.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 8.6% $39

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 6.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 7.3% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 50.3% $63

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Almaty

$205 15% 72.2% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 22% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Almaty

$27 2% 30.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $773 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 66% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $251 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

15:41 3:41 PM

1 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Almaty 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $43.00 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 $1,190 in Phuket and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – 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 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.