Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shymkent Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shymkent

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $776 in Shymkent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Shymkent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,928 in Shymkent.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Shymkent, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Shymkent 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$10.77 ₸4,907

-57.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$32.49 ₸14.8K

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.63 ₸3,021

34.24%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.39 ₸1,091

17.15%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.02 ₸467

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.53 ₸242

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.05 ₸480

127.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.33 ₸607

178.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.46 ₸666

22.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$0.42 ₸193

242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.72 ₸783

-8.14%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.63 ₸741

30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.25 ₸4,670

94.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.14 ₸2,343

-33.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$8.80 ₸4,009

28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.18 ₸538

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.09 ₸954

-17.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.50 ₸1,139

-7.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.35 ₸614

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.53 ₸244

177.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.40 ₸181

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.86 ₸392

27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.83 ₸380

-31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.46 ₸1,121

73.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$4.36 ₸1,987

322.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.04 ₸476

79.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.54 ₸703

89.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.13 ₸60.1

1607.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.83 ₸377

265.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.37 ₸166

189.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$9.78 ₸4,457

-59.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.59 ₸267

152.54%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$26.9K ₸12.2M

0.90%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$29.0K ₸13.2M

-5.45%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$46.53 ₸21.2K

120.93%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.10 ₸4,145

20.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$14.64 ₸6,671

19.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$38.70 ₸17.6K

38.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$8.60 ₸3,920

30.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.40 ₸2,462

38.52%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$56.5 ₸25.7K

886.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$35.70 ₸16.3K

79.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$33.12 ₸15.1K

-12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$182 ₸82.9K

-47.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$52.1 ₸23.7K

73.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$333 ₸151.8K

119.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$202 ₸91.9K

147.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$693 ₸315.7K

201.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$550 ₸250.7K

119.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,075 ₸489.6K

234.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$974 ₸443.6K

158.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$432 ₸196.9K

16.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.25

-69.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $333 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $183 per month, with Shymkent 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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $333 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $56.5 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $776 in Shymkent versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shymkent 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 Shymkent 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 Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.