Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samarkand

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarkand: $641 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Samarkand
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Samarkand Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Samarkand

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Samarkand

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $641 in Samarkand.

Phuket $1,294
Samarkand $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,014 in Samarkand.

Phuket $2,204
Samarkand $1,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,388 in Samarkand.

Phuket $3,115
Samarkand $1,388

Living in Phuket is roughly 102% more expensive than in Samarkand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Samarkand 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$6.85 UZS 82.0K

-35.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$19.76 UZS 236.6K

63.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$4.68 UZS 56.1K

85.90%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.49 UZS 29.8K

9.24%

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

$0.93 ฿31.38

$0.79 UZS 9,508

17.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.17 UZS 2,032

194.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$1.72 UZS 20.6K

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.18 UZS 26.1K

66.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

56.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.31 UZS 3,770

367.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.67 UZS 20.0K

-10.18%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.32 UZS 15.8K

64.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$8.01 UZS 95.9K

138.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$4.28 UZS 51.3K

-20.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$10.79 UZS 129.2K

1.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$0.81 UZS 9,759

262.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.76 UZS 21.1K

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.72 UZS 20.6K

27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$1.73 UZS 20.7K

22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.19

$0.49 UZS 5,815

197.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.14

$0.17 UZS 2,007

705.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.29

$0.24 UZS 2,874

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.40

$0.40 UZS 4,819

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$1.71 UZS 20.5K

159.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$3.34 UZS 40.0K

446.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$0.99 UZS 11.8K

78.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$2.14 UZS 25.6K

34.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.24 UZS 2,867

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,851

$3.34 UZS 39.9K

1543.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.35 UZS 4,224

331.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.17

$0.32 UZS 3,892

143.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$3.43 UZS 41.1K

11.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.20 UZS 14.4K

24.17%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$17.7K UZS 211.4M

52.24%

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

$26.3K ฿888.6K

$20.7K UZS 247.7M

27.39%

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

$97.8 ฿3,299

$41.05 UZS 491.6K

138.27%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$3.99 UZS 47.8K

182.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$13.48 UZS 161.4K

27.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$39.79 UZS 476.5K

71.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$6.87 UZS 82.2K

58.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$3.11 UZS 37.3K

138.91%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$391 UZS 4.7M

35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.5K

$7,622 UZS 91.3M

146.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,080

$20.69 UZS 247.8K

198.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$41.93 UZS 502.1K

-32.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,238

$76.1 UZS 911.1K

26.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,928

$58.8 UZS 704.2K

47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$242 UZS 2.9M

198.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$168 UZS 2.0M

202.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$465 UZS 5.6M

319.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$310 UZS 3.7M

350.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$1,260 UZS 15.1M

232.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$554 UZS 6.6M

495.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$301 UZS 3.6M

63.21%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Samarkand

$168 26.2% 66.9% $341

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Samarkand

$158 24.6% 40.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Samarkand

$59 9.1% 53.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Samarkand

$89 13.9% 27.6% $34

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Samarkand

$116 18% 3.4% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Samarkand

$46 7.2% 44.7% $37

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Samarkand

$6.3 1% 90.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $242 in Samarkand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 63% 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 $20 in Samarkand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $158 per month, with Samarkand cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇿 Samarkand

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

12:09 12:09 PM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

573,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.47 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,392 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.47 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Samarkand 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Samarkand

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 Samarkand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samarkand is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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 $242 in Samarkand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $391 in Samarkand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $641 in Samarkand versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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 Samarkand are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Samarkand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.