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 $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Phuket vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,896 per month in Phuket vs $2,914 in Almaty, rent included.

Phuket is about 9% cheaper than Almaty, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Almaty is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$12.78 ₸5,840

-65.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$45.00 ₸20.6K

-22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$8.79 ₸4,017

1.93%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.16 ₸1,444

-5.06%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.27 ₸581

-39.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.89 ₸409

-47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.65 ₸1,211

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.89 ₸1,776

-3.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.71 ₸783

6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.80 ₸368

77.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.09 ₸956

-25.84%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.31 ₸1,054

-7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$11.79 ₸5,389

67.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.84 ₸3,126

-49.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$10.69 ₸4,884

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.85 ₸846

57.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$2.28 ₸1,043

-27.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.83 ₸1,292

-19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$2.66 ₸1,218

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.71 ₸326

107.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.54 ₸247

161.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.60 ₸733

-31.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.99 ₸451

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.62 ₸1,196

70.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$10.82 ₸4,944

73.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.17 ₸534

57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.21 ₸1,012

33.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.27 ₸124

737.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$21.69 ₸9,912

6.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.35 ₸615

125.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.68 ₸309

60.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$10.65 ₸4,865

-64.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.69 ₸317

115.94%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$26.4K ₸12.1M

3.95%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$30.1K ₸13.8M

-8.70%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$89.3 ₸40.8K

14.01%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$10.58 ₸4,837

6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$16.64 ₸7,607

6.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$74.9 ₸34.2K

-27.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$29.59 ₸13.5K

-62.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$6.61 ₸3,022

18.76%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$436 ₸199.3K

32.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$11.7K ₸5.4M

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$93.4 ₸42.7K

-30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$44.21 ₸20.2K

-34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$132 ₸60.5K

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$128 ₸58.7K

-29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$794 ₸362.7K

-4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$526 ₸240.4K

-7.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,399 ₸639.3K

49.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$930 ₸424.8K

29.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,529 ₸1.2M

41.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,437 ₸657.0K

81.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$852 ₸389.2K

-41.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.57

-72.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Almaty: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Phuket versus $794 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 70% 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 $35.00 in Phuket versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Phuket vs $245 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 10%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $2,081 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 $35.00 in Phuket and $45.00 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 $1,387 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 Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,261, 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.