Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samarkand Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samarkand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $550 in Samarkand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $891 in Samarkand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,233 in Samarkand.

Living in Phuket is roughly 123% more expensive than in Samarkand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Samarkand 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$4.69 UZS 56.6K

-3.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$17.03 UZS 205.8K

173.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$4.29 UZS 51.8K

97.90%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.80 UZS 21.8K

71.11%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.43 UZS 5,139

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.25 UZS 3,004

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.27 UZS 15.4K

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.02 UZS 24.4K

79.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.06 UZS 12.8K

106.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.40 UZS 4,834

352.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.51 UZS 18.2K

47.68%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.32 UZS 15.9K

69.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$7.84 UZS 94.8K

150.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.69 UZS 44.5K

0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$8.69 UZS 105.0K

55.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$0.81 UZS 9,836

314.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.68 UZS 20.3K

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.57 UZS 19.0K

53.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.47 UZS 17.8K

35.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.48 UZS 5,803

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.18 UZS 2,140

705.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.25 UZS 3,040

304.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.38 UZS 4,572

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.59 UZS 19.2K

168.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$3.34 UZS 40.4K

472.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$0.93 UZS 11.2K

97.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.92 UZS 23.2K

42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.25 UZS 3,042

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$3.13 UZS 37.8K

274.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.37 UZS 4,489

710.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.17 UZS 2,048

517.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$2.43 UZS 29.4K

472.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$0.95 UZS 11.5K

35.79%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$20.0K UZS 241.7M

40.10%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$25.2K UZS 304.7M

32.83%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$39.36 UZS 475.5K

209.91%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$3.62 UZS 43.8K

284.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$11.82 UZS 142.8K

59.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$37.31 UZS 450.8K

64.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$6.16 UZS 74.4K

173.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$3.01 UZS 36.4K

195.35%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$116 UZS 1.4M

495.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$4,670 UZS 56.4M

246.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$19.80 UZS 239.2K

191.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$39.82 UZS 481.1K

-11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$69.6 UZS 840.9K

62.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$54.7 UZS 661.1K

51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$228 UZS 2.8M

166.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$133 UZS 1.6M

236.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$428 UZS 5.2M

373.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$292 UZS 3.5M

412.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,270 UZS 15.3M

182.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$541 UZS 6.5M

378.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$296 UZS 3.6M

70.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

22.07

-75.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $228 in Samarkand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 71% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Samarkand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $144 per month, with Samarkand 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 Samarkand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samarkand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $228 in Samarkand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $116 in Samarkand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $550 in Samarkand versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samarkand but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samarkand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samarkand 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 Samarkand 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 Samarkand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.