Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qapshaghay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qapshaghay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $848 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,258 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,668 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qapshaghay 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.67 ₸3,600

-40.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,557

$19.34 ₸9,070

138.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.78 ₸2,711

52.94%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.58 ₸743

93.67%

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

$0.73 ฿24.46

$0.87 ₸406

-16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.42

$0.53 ₸249

-24.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿82.0

$1.02 ₸476

138.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.15 ₸538

228.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.2

$1.30 ₸610

73.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿61.0

$0.60 ₸280

201.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$1.47 ₸690

53.06%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.80 ₸844

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿658

$9.25 ₸4,339

110.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.73 ₸2,217

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿440

$7.47 ₸3,502

74.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.39 ₸651

132.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.97 ₸924

-17.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.3

$1.86 ₸874

27.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$2.07 ₸970

-1.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$0.62 ₸290

146.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.40 ₸186

275.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.99

$1.31 ₸612

-25.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$0.70 ₸329

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿150

$1.42 ₸667

212.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿618

$10.43 ₸4,893

75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.8

$0.87 ₸410

113.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.4

$2.05 ₸962

30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.57

$0.18 ₸82.7

683.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.70 ₸327

344.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.14

$0.62 ₸293

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿476

$4.79 ₸2,248

194.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.20

$0.52 ₸243

151.92%

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

$27.8K ฿937.7K

$23.2K ₸10.9M

19.93%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.0K ₸12.7M

23.03%

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

$122 ฿4,127

$62.9 ₸29.5K

94.57%

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

$13.59 ฿458

$8.90 ₸4,176

52.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿630

$13.46 ₸6,312

38.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,039

$33.15 ₸15.5K

82.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿306

$5.35 ₸2,510

69.53%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$267 ₸125.4K

164.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿532.8K

$4,939 ₸2.3M

220.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,974

$56.8 ₸26.6K

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,192

$44.10 ₸20.7K

-19.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,892

$99.2 ₸46.5K

16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,823

$120 ₸56.2K

-30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$384 ₸180.0K

63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$273 ₸128.2K

62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.8K

$625 ₸293.3K

226.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.3K

$433 ₸203.2K

244.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.4K

$1,026 ₸481.1K

239.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.9K

$771 ₸361.8K

234.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $384 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $188 per month, with Qapshaghay cheaper across the board.

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qapshaghay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,272 in Qapshaghay 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: $626 in Phuket versus $384 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $267 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qapshaghay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Qapshaghay versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qapshaghay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qapshaghay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.