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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $541 in Samarkand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $896 in Samarkand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,251 in Samarkand.

Living in Phuket is roughly 134% more expensive than in Samarkand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Samarkand 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.53 UZS 54.2K

-1.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$17.33 UZS 207.2K

163.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.44 UZS 53.1K

97.30%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.76 UZS 21.0K

68.75%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.42 UZS 5,077

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.27 UZS 3,245

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.29 UZS 15.4K

96.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.94 UZS 23.2K

93.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.05 UZS 12.6K

104.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.41 UZS 4,850

343.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.52 UZS 18.1K

43.42%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.30 UZS 15.6K

73.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.74 UZS 92.5K

158.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.85 UZS 46.0K

-5.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.63 UZS 103.2K

57.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$0.81 UZS 9,702

300.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.68 UZS 20.1K

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.61 UZS 19.3K

44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.45 UZS 17.3K

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.46 UZS 5,498

236.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.17 UZS 2,091

758.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.25 UZS 3,008

292.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.37 UZS 4,479

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.56 UZS 18.6K

178.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$3.40 UZS 40.6K

446.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.92 UZS 11.0K

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.95 UZS 23.3K

35.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.23 UZS 2,745

517.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$3.21 UZS 38.4K

260.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.41 UZS 4,865

673.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.16 UZS 1,961

543.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.34 UZS 28.0K

493.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.01 UZS 12.0K

32.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.9K UZS 238.2M

39.49%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.0K UZS 299.2M

33.36%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$39.90 UZS 477.0K

208.40%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.57 UZS 42.7K

285.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$11.59 UZS 138.6K

58.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$37.12 UZS 443.8K

63.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$6.15 UZS 73.6K

179.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.94 UZS 35.2K

201.70%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$117 UZS 1.4M

485.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,798 UZS 57.4M

228.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$19.65 UZS 234.9K

201.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$40.12 UZS 479.7K

-13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$70.0 UZS 836.5K

64.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$55.2 UZS 660.1K

51.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$225 UZS 2.7M

176.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$129 UZS 1.5M

246.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$436 UZS 5.2M

366.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$293 UZS 3.5M

410.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,226 UZS 14.7M

181.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$533 UZS 6.4M

374.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$301 UZS 3.6M

64.09%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $225 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Samarkand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $145 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 134% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $225 in Samarkand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $117 in Samarkand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $541 in Samarkand versus $1,264 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 134% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.