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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $634 in Samarkand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,009 in Samarkand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,384 in Samarkand.

Living in Phuket is roughly 94% more expensive than in Samarkand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Samarkand 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.69 UZS 79.1K

-34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$20.21 UZS 239.2K

59.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.93 UZS 58.3K

81.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.61 UZS 30.9K

11.11%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.76 UZS 9,043

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.21 UZS 2,517

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.69 UZS 20.0K

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.27 UZS 26.9K

63.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.09 UZS 12.9K

71.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.32 UZS 3,835

359.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.65 UZS 19.5K

-6.06%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.39 UZS 16.5K

51.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.35 UZS 98.8K

134.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.31 UZS 51.1K

-20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$10.73 UZS 127.0K

6.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$0.82 UZS 9,759

263.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.83 UZS 21.6K

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.66 UZS 19.6K

33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.71 UZS 20.3K

26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.52 UZS 6,206

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.16 UZS 1,910

737.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.24 UZS 2,820

370.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.41 UZS 4,832

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.69 UZS 20.0K

152.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$3.34 UZS 39.5K

471.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.00 UZS 11.9K

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.09 UZS 24.7K

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.24 UZS 2,835

829.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$3.47 UZS 41.1K

555.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.36 UZS 4,299

741.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.32 UZS 3,834

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.38 UZS 40.0K

15.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.12 UZS 13.2K

33.04%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$17.0K UZS 200.6M

56.81%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$24.6K UZS 291.2M

9.84%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$43.06 UZS 509.6K

137.97%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$4.00 UZS 47.3K

183.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$13.55 UZS 160.3K

28.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$40.04 UZS 473.9K

30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$6.89 UZS 81.5K

60.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.12 UZS 36.9K

146.47%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$323 UZS 3.8M

73.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,558 UZS 89.4M

52.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$21.24 UZS 251.3K

196.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$41.62 UZS 492.5K

-29.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$77.7 UZS 919.0K

26.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$59.8 UZS 707.4K

48.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$242 UZS 2.9M

204.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$171 UZS 2.0M

182.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$473 UZS 5.6M

344.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$317 UZS 3.8M

286.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,299 UZS 15.4M

178.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$545 UZS 6.5M

377.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$302 UZS 3.6M

63.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

23.31

-76.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $242 in Samarkand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 64% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Samarkand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $159 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, Getting Around. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $242 in Samarkand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $323 in Samarkand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $634 in Samarkand versus $1,232 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 94% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.