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 $707 in Semey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Semey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Semey.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Semey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.97 ₸2,228

-11.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$22.56 ₸10.1K

43.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.45 ₸2,443

63.85%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.69 ₸756

71.60%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.80 ₸356

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.52 ₸233

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.93 ₸415

152.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.41 ₸633

163.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.05 ₸469

78.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.33 ₸150

345.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.90 ₸851

-18.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.51 ₸679

39.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.44 ₸2,440

260.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.78 ₸1,695

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.28 ₸2,365

115.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.26 ₸566

136.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.68 ₸755

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.74 ₸780

27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.69 ₸758

27.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.38 ₸172

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.57 ₸254

135.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.27 ₸571

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.97 ₸436

-43.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.47 ₸1,108

72.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.10 ₸3,184

168.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.37 ₸616

29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.18 ₸978

27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.26 ₸117

757.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$16.98 ₸7,613

33.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.37 ₸614

121.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.18 ₸529

-13.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.69 ₸2,998

-41.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.68 ₸304

119.12%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$24.2K ₸10.9M

9.78%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.0K ₸11.7M

3.78%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$33.94 ₸15.2K

201.92%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$8.78 ₸3,936

29.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$18.96 ₸8,501

-8.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$42.68 ₸19.1K

22.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$11.09 ₸4,972

-0.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.35 ₸1,950

76.78%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$133 ₸59.4K

323.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,381 ₸2.0M

162.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$28.67 ₸12.9K

119.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$25.42 ₸11.4K

16.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$102 ₸45.5K

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$75.2 ₸33.7K

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$353 ₸158.1K

109.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$234 ₸104.7K

106.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$637 ₸285.7K

230.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$484 ₸217.1K

153.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,235 ₸553.6K

192.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$822 ₸368.4K

216.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.25

-71.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Semey: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $353 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $155 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, Getting Around. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,061 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: $738 in Phuket versus $353 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $133 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $707 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 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.