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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,068 in Almaty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,679 in Almaty, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,291 in Almaty, rent included.

Phuket costs about 15% more than Almaty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Almaty are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Almaty 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.92 ₸3,631

-41.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$39.67 ₸18.2K

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$6.66 ₸3,057

32.73%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.41 ₸1,107

24.48%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.95 ₸437

-22.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.57 ₸262

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.41 ₸646

73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.89 ₸1,324

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.27 ₸582

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.54 ₸249

240.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.48 ₸681

51.35%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.71 ₸787

35.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$9.62 ₸4,415

104.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.46 ₸2,044

-18.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$7.62 ₸3,498

71.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.34 ₸615

152.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.90 ₸872

-13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.89 ₸868

27.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$2.00 ₸919

1.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.59 ₸270

164.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.42 ₸193

257.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$1.30 ₸597

-21.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.70 ₸320

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.98 ₸908

124.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$8.46 ₸3,882

123.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$0.84 ₸383

111.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.14 ₸982

28.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.22 ₸101

536.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$17.79 ₸8,162

-35.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.14 ₸522

173.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.67 ₸305

49.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$4.59 ₸2,105

206.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$0.49 ₸224

175.51%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$23.2K ₸10.7M

17.03%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.5K ₸12.6M

19.86%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$62.4 ₸28.6K

100.35%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$9.01 ₸4,134

50.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$13.41 ₸6,153

38.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$47.68 ₸21.9K

28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$21.81 ₸10.0K

-22.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$5.12 ₸2,347

79.49%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$261 ₸119.9K

167.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$12.6K ₸5.8M

23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$85.8 ₸39.4K

-32.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$44.05 ₸20.2K

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$97.6 ₸44.8K

15.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$120 ₸55.2K

-28.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$653 ₸299.8K

-5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$417 ₸191.1K

7.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$1,188 ₸545.2K

72.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$753 ₸345.6K

98.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$2,151 ₸986.6K

75.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,319 ₸605.1K

100.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$816 ₸374.3K

-35.79%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Almaty: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $653 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 56% 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: $292 vs $182 – 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 15%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,602 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $1,068 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 $1,068, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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.