Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semey Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $694 in Semey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,111 in Semey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,528 in Semey.

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than Semey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.43 ₸2,049

4.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.96 ₸12.5K

73.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.65 ₸2,152

90.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.54 ₸710

94.81%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.91 ₸421

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.56 ₸257

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.15 ₸533

112.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.84 ₸853

96.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.68 ₸315

232.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.34 ₸159

441.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.66 ₸768

34.94%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.28 ₸592

81.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.75 ₸4,048

124.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.50 ₸2,079

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.07 ₸3,269

85.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.29 ₸595

162.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.95 ₸902

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.97 ₸910

22.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.89 ₸874

7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.56 ₸259

178.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.37 ₸173

305.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.00 ₸463

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.77 ₸355

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.60 ₸1,203

71.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.82 ₸3,152

176.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.94 ₸437

89.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.61 ₸742

70.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.18 ₸81.1

677.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.02 ₸473

205.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.67 ₸311

49.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.79 ₸2,216

194.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.46 ₸213

193.48%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.1K ₸9.3M

35.29%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.7K ₸11.4M

33.54%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$50.3 ₸23.2K

148.67%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.62 ₸3,987

57.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$12.89 ₸5,959

43.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$33.61 ₸15.5K

82.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$9.68 ₸4,476

73.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.36 ₸2,018

110.78%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$214 ₸99.1K

225.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,808 ₸2.2M

224.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$56.4 ₸26.1K

2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$35.66 ₸16.5K

-1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$87.9 ₸40.7K

28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$78.4 ₸36.3K

10.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$312 ₸144.2K

97.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$201 ₸92.8K

122.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$520 ₸240.3K

293.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$386 ₸178.2K

287.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.39

-71.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Semey: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $312 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $165 per month, with Semey 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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,041 in Semey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $312 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $214 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Semey – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $694 in Semey versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Semey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Semey 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 Semey 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 Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.