Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Bishkek: $977 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bishkek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $977 in Bishkek.

Phuket $1,278
Bishkek $977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,505 in Bishkek.

Phuket $2,216
Bishkek $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,032 in Bishkek.

Phuket $3,154
Bishkek $2,032

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bishkek 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.80 KGS 595

-34.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$29.12 KGS 2,547

11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.70 KGS 499

54.56%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.45 KGS 215

15.51%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.75 KGS 65.8

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.41 KGS 35.69

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.39 KGS 121

84.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.92 KGS 168

91.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.03 KGS 89.9

61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.41 KGS 36.15

256.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.73 KGS 151

-13.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.76 KGS 154

18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.73 KGS 676

146.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.62 KGS 404

-28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.74 KGS 764

24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.42 KGS 124

106.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.83 KGS 160

-7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.01 KGS 176

11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.56 KGS 137

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.61 KGS 53.4

147.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.51 KGS 44.33

170.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.71 KGS 62.3

50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.57 KGS 49.86

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.07 KGS 181

102.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.05 KGS 792

107.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.37 KGS 120

32.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.93 KGS 169

47.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.24 KGS 21.01

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.55 KGS 1,010

390.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.89 KGS 78.2

239.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.44 KGS 38.34

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.56 KGS 486

-33.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.98 KGS 85.6

50.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$29.8K KGS 2.6M

-10.17%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$33.2K KGS 2.9M

-19.55%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$49.36 KGS 4,317

95.20%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.75 KGS 503

95.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$11.91 KGS 1,042

41.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$53.9 KGS 4,712

24.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.66 KGS 1,282

-26.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.59 KGS 489

34.17%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$217 KGS 19.0K

119.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$7,810 KGS 683.1K

44.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$56.3 KGS 4,923

10.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$43.87 KGS 3,837

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$91.8 KGS 8,026

2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$89.9 KGS 7,861

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$599 KGS 52.4K

19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$410 KGS 35.9K

19.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,030 KGS 90.0K

87.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$718 KGS 62.8K

99.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,811 KGS 158.4K

130.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,209 KGS 105.8K

151.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$498 KGS 43.5K

0.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.1

-72.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bishkek

$410 42% 16.5% $81

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bishkek

$176 18% 33.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bishkek

$67 6.9% 46.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bishkek

$127 13% 4% $4.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bishkek

$116 11.9% 4.4% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bishkek

$65 6.7% 20.9% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 77.9% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $599 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $29 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $176 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

1 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 87.46 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 97.66 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Bishkek 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bishkek

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 Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,466 in Bishkek to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $599 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $217 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

For families, Bishkek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bishkek are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bishkek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.