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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $865 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qapshaghay 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.97 ₸3,871

-41.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$19.91 ₸9,671

127.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.79 ₸2,812

45.60%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$1.57 ₸765

86.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.89 ₸433

-22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.54 ₸262

-31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.94 ₸456

156.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.20 ₸583

210.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.32 ₸640

68.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$0.56 ₸271

226.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.49 ₸726

45.64%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.73 ₸842

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$9.34 ₸4,536

111.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.53 ₸2,202

-19.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$7.70 ₸3,742

75.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.40 ₸678

134.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.97 ₸958

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.96 ₸951

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$2.06 ₸1,001

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.59 ₸285

159.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.40 ₸194

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$1.25 ₸609

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.73 ₸356

-30.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.48 ₸720

197.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.41 ₸5,055

86.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.90 ₸438

97.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$2.14 ₸1,041

26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.17 ₸80.9

705.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$0.70 ₸341

331.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.63 ₸304

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$4.58 ₸2,225

207.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$0.51 ₸249

166.67%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$23.2K ₸11.3M

21.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K ₸13.1M

21.63%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$63.6 ₸30.9K

91.44%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$8.60 ₸4,178

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$13.69 ₸6,648

33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$32.65 ₸15.9K

84.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$5.34 ₸2,594

62.73%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$261 ₸126.6K

165.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$4,803 ₸2.3M

226.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$55.6 ₸27.0K

7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$44.32 ₸21.5K

-21.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$96.8 ₸47.0K

18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$122 ₸59.4K

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$392 ₸190.3K

56.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$271 ₸131.7K

61.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$642 ₸312.1K

225.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$440 ₸214.0K

242.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$933 ₸453.4K

301.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$850 ₸412.8K

207.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $392 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,298 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: $613 in Phuket versus $392 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $261 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 $20.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $865 in Qapshaghay versus $1,265 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.