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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $679 in Shymkent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,091 in Shymkent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Shymkent.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than Shymkent, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$9.57 ₸4,664

-50.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$19.66 ₸9,579

130.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.77 ₸3,298

24.52%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.87 ₸912

56.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.01 ₸490

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.44 ₸213

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.16 ₸563

107.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.91 ₸930

94.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.10 ₸534

102.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.30 ₸148

510.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.57 ₸767

38.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.44 ₸702

53.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.95 ₸3,871

148.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.24 ₸2,066

-14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.50 ₸3,166

108.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.00 ₸489

228.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.84 ₸894

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.89 ₸920

27.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.02 ₸499

103.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.47 ₸231

225.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.38 ₸184

289.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.78 ₸378

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.64 ₸311

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.91 ₸930

130.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$3.97 ₸1,935

388.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.93 ₸454

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.38 ₸673

96.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.16 ₸77.7

756.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.84 ₸409

259.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.63 ₸308

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.91 ₸2,879

138.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.46 ₸222

195.65%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$19.8K ₸9.7M

42.23%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K ₸12.0M

33.98%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$51.1 ₸24.9K

138.39%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.84 ₸4,306

53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$12.49 ₸6,086

46.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$32.82 ₸16.0K

83.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.69 ₸3,748

122.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.75 ₸2,315

82.95%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$49.35 ₸24.0K

1305.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,935 ₸2.4M

217.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$32.43 ₸15.8K

83.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.01 ₸14.6K

15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$123 ₸59.7K

-6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$46.31 ₸22.6K

79.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$306 ₸149.1K

100.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$177 ₸86.4K

146.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$470 ₸229.2K

345.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$354 ₸172.4K

326.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,040 ₸506.5K

260.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$911 ₸443.6K

187.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$401 ₸195.1K

26.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

19.5

-72.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $306 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 27% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $148 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 27% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $306 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $49.35 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 $20.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $679 in Shymkent versus $1,265 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 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.