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 $540 in Samarkand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $889 in Samarkand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,238 in Samarkand.

Living in Phuket is roughly 128% more expensive than Samarkand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Samarkand 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.51 UZS 54.3K

2.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$17.62 UZS 212.1K

165.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.26 UZS 51.3K

107.51%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.76 UZS 21.2K

70.45%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.39 UZS 4,721

89.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.25 UZS 2,980

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.27 UZS 15.3K

92.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.95 UZS 23.5K

85.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.00 UZS 12.0K

126.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.40 UZS 4,875

360.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.54 UZS 18.5K

45.45%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.25 UZS 15.0K

85.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.79 UZS 93.8K

152.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.75 UZS 45.2K

-2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.43 UZS 101.5K

55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.77 UZS 9,263

340.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.75 UZS 21.1K

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.55 UZS 18.6K

55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.51 UZS 18.1K

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.49 UZS 5,882

218.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.15 UZS 1,836

900.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.25 UZS 3,021

308.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.38 UZS 4,538

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.54 UZS 18.5K

188.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.24 UZS 39.1K

482.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.91 UZS 10.9K

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.00 UZS 24.1K

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.23 UZS 2,758

508.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$3.11 UZS 37.4K

269.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.37 UZS 4,495

743.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.18 UZS 2,205

455.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.39 UZS 28.8K

489.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.96 UZS 11.6K

40.63%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.4K UZS 245.4M

33.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.7K UZS 297.9M

33.06%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$39.20 UZS 472.0K

218.83%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.63 UZS 43.8K

273.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$11.76 UZS 141.7K

57.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.63 UZS 441.0K

67.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.23 UZS 75.0K

170.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.99 UZS 36.0K

207.36%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$117 UZS 1.4M

495.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,738 UZS 57.0M

229.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$20.04 UZS 241.3K

188.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.87 UZS 468.0K

-9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$71.7 UZS 862.8K

57.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$55.7 UZS 670.5K

55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$229 UZS 2.8M

169.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$132 UZS 1.6M

238.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$430 UZS 5.2M

376.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$301 UZS 3.6M

395.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,241 UZS 14.9M

204.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$530 UZS 6.4M

400.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$296 UZS 3.6M

76.69%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $229 in Samarkand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 77% 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 $18.00 in Samarkand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $143 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 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 77% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $229 in Samarkand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 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 104% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $540 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 128% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.