Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qarshi

For one person, living is cheaper in Qarshi: $569 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Qarshi

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Qarshi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $569 in Qarshi.

Phuket $1,294
Qarshi $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $877 in Qarshi.

Phuket $2,204
Qarshi $877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,186 in Qarshi.

Phuket $3,115
Qarshi $1,186

Living in Phuket is roughly 127% more expensive than in Qarshi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Qarshi 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$10.12 UZS 121.1K

-56.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$16.78 UZS 200.9K

92.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$9.33 UZS 111.7K

-6.75%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$0.98 UZS 11.7K

177.55%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$0.52 UZS 6,190

78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.19 UZS 2,282

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$0.69 UZS 8,317

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.21 UZS 14.4K

43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$0.44 UZS 5,268

229.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

26.05%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.53 UZS 18.3K

41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$10.09 UZS 120.8K

89.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.26 UZS 39.0K

4.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$10.79 UZS 129.2K

1.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

164.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.68 UZS 20.2K

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$1.86 UZS 22.2K

17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$1.27 UZS 15.2K

66.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$0.48 UZS 5,790

204.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$0.24 UZS 2,872

470.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.43 UZS 5,160

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$3.31 UZS 39.7K

33.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$0.26 UZS 3,141

457.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

$9.75 UZS 116.8K

462.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$0.35 UZS 4,132

122.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$1.33 UZS 16.0K

12.03%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$66.0 UZS 790.9K

48.11%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$3.85 UZS 46.1K

193.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$12.42 UZS 148.8K

38.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$34.04 UZS 407.6K

100.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$4,537 UZS 54.3M

313.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$277 UZS 3.3M

160.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$170 UZS 2.0M

199.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$426 UZS 5.1M

357.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$308 UZS 3.7M

353.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$346 UZS 4.1M

42.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Qarshi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Qarshi

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Qarshi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Qarshi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Qarshi

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Qarshi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Qarshi

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Qarshi

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $277 in Qarshi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $17 in Qarshi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $143 per month, with Qarshi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇿 Qarshi

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

289,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,449 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Qarshi 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Qarshi

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 Qarshi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qarshi is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $277 in Qarshi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Qarshi – a meal for two runs $17 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Qarshi runs roughly 82% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $569 in Qarshi versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qarshi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qarshi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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

Expats usually find Qarshi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.