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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,088 in Qapshaghay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,652 in Qapshaghay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,215 in Qapshaghay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Qapshaghay 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.03 ₸4,915

-60.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$22.06 ₸9,831

46.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.58 ₸2,931

35.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.81 ₸805

60.22%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.00 ₸444

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.65 ₸291

-26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.31 ₸583

79.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.36 ₸605

173.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.69 ₸755

10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.44 ₸195

234.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.13 ₸950

-27.23%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.49 ₸1,109

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$12.29 ₸5,476

59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.86 ₸3,056

-50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$10.99 ₸4,897

3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.89 ₸841

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.39 ₸1,065

-29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.05 ₸1,359

-27.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.80 ₸1,250

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.75 ₸334

102.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.55 ₸247

143.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.71 ₸761

-33.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.00 ₸448

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.60 ₸714

166.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$11.07 ₸4,934

72.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.19 ₸532

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.37 ₸1,057

17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.18 ₸80.1

1138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$16.06 ₸7,158

41.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.88 ₸393

244.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.70 ₸310

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$4.10 ₸1,827

-5.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.57 ₸253

161.40%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$22.4K ₸10.0M

18.51%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$30.0K ₸13.4M

-9.89%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$93.8 ₸41.8K

9.20%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$10.79 ₸4,808

5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$17.49 ₸7,797

-0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$42.61 ₸19.0K

22.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.85 ₸3,051

12.26%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$147 ₸65.7K

280.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,413 ₸2.0M

160.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$91.2 ₸40.6K

-30.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$46.94 ₸20.9K

-37.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$142 ₸63.4K

-31.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$135 ₸60.1K

-34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$455 ₸202.7K

62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$308 ₸137.4K

56.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$727 ₸323.9K

189.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$498 ₸221.8K

146.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,061 ₸472.7K

240.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$970 ₸432.4K

168.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.61

-72.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $455 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $249 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,633 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: $738 in Phuket versus $455 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $147 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,088 in Qapshaghay versus $1,232 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.