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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $689 in Semey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,093 in Semey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,497 in Semey.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than Semey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Semey 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.49 ₸2,194

1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.81 ₸13.6K

67.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.86 ₸2,375

74.28%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.59 ₸775

90.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.92 ₸448

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.55 ₸269

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.18 ₸578

111.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.81 ₸886

102.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.68 ₸332

220.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.32 ₸156

493.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.60 ₸780

37.50%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.28 ₸623

73.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.91 ₸4,350

124.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.63 ₸2,262

-20.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.05 ₸3,441

87.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.34 ₸655

141.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.95 ₸950

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.93 ₸943

23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.91 ₸933

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.55 ₸266

189.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.38 ₸184

289.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.94 ₸461

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.76 ₸372

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.57 ₸1,253

65.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.68 ₸3,263

181.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.98 ₸479

79.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.54 ₸753

79.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.22 ₸109

518.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.95 ₸465

230.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.67 ₸326

55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.76 ₸2,326

189.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.47 ₸228

185.11%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.4K ₸10.0M

35.81%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K ₸12.0M

37.61%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$50.4 ₸24.6K

145.02%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.66 ₸4,232

56.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$12.96 ₸6,330

44.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.37 ₸16.3K

85.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$9.92 ₸4,846

73.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.35 ₸2,125

110.11%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$212 ₸103.6K

231.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,930 ₸2.4M

221.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$57.1 ₸27.9K

4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$34.79 ₸17.0K

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$87.3 ₸42.6K

32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.4 ₸38.3K

7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$320 ₸156.2K

93.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$199 ₸97.4K

116.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$518 ₸252.9K

298.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$395 ₸192.9K

282.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Semey: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $320 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,034 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: $619 in Phuket versus $320 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $212 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 $28.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $689 in Semey versus $1,261 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 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.