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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $863 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,274 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,686 in Qapshaghay.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Qapshaghay 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿149

$7.93 ₸3,711

-41.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,488

$19.36 ₸9,063

139.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿278

$5.71 ₸2,673

52.01%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿94.4

$1.58 ₸740

86.71%

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

$0.70 ฿22.39

$0.84 ₸392

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.63

$0.53 ₸248

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.1

$0.94 ₸440

169.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿121

$1.14 ₸534

231.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.1

$1.27 ₸595

74.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.5

$0.54 ₸254

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.0

$1.47 ₸688

48.98%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.80 ₸843

28.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿620

$9.46 ₸4,428

104.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.72 ₸2,210

-20.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿424

$7.57 ₸3,542

74.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.38 ₸648

141.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿52.8

$1.97 ₸921

-16.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.3

$1.97 ₸924

16.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿63.7

$2.08 ₸971

-4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿48.96

$0.61 ₸286

150.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.50

$0.40 ₸186

277.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.93

$1.31 ₸611

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.47

$0.75 ₸349

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿141

$1.49 ₸699

195.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿622

$8.87 ₸4,149

118.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿57.6

$0.85 ₸396

111.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿85.9

$2.08 ₸973

28.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿45.86

$0.14 ₸67.0

921.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿375

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.3

$0.76 ₸355

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.19

$0.67 ₸314

55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿438

$4.66 ₸2,183

193.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$0.48 ₸223

170.83%

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

$27.9K ฿893.9K

$23.6K ₸11.0M

18.39%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$26.9K ₸12.6M

22.72%

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

$123 ฿3,940

$62.7 ₸29.3K

96.16%

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

$13.82 ฿443

$8.81 ₸4,125

56.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿604

$13.75 ₸6,436

37.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,959

$33.80 ₸15.8K

80.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿538

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿284

$5.31 ₸2,486

67.04%

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

$696 ฿22.3K

$260 ₸121.8K

167.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿514.5K

$4,887 ₸2.3M

228.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,899

$56.1 ₸26.2K

5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,117

$44.08 ₸20.6K

-20.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,626

$97.5 ₸45.6K

16.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,725

$120 ₸56.2K

-29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.7K

$385 ₸180.2K

59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$271 ₸126.7K

65.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿66.8K

$644 ₸301.6K

223.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿47.9K

$432 ₸202.1K

246.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿119.7K

$1,050 ₸491.5K

255.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.3K

$793 ₸371.3K

235.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.1K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $385 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $19 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $186 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 $1,904 in Phuket and $1,294 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: $615 in Phuket versus $385 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $260 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 $863 in Qapshaghay versus $1,270 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.