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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $678 in Shymkent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,076 in Shymkent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,473 in Shymkent.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Shymkent, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.93 ₸4,669

-54.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$19.90 ₸9,353

132.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.99 ₸3,287

26.47%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.85 ₸868

65.41%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.99 ₸467

-26.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.41 ₸192

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.15 ₸542

111.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.91 ₸898

97.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.15 ₸541

96.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.30 ₸142

503.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.63 ₸767

38.04%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.44 ₸676

56.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.92 ₸3,724

146.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.18 ₸1,967

-12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.47 ₸3,042

101.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.96 ₸450

236.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.78 ₸837

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.91 ₸896

24.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.02 ₸480

99.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.48 ₸224

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.38 ₸178

294.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.79 ₸373

24.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.69 ₸322

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.99 ₸937

123.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.33 ₸2,034

323.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.94 ₸443

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.33 ₸627

101.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.14 ₸64.0

907.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.89 ₸418

249.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.62 ₸294

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.80 ₸2,724

143.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.50 ₸234

162.00%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.3K ₸9.1M

43.99%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.9K ₸11.2M

39.05%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$50.4 ₸23.7K

142.74%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.64 ₸4,060

57.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$12.73 ₸5,981

46.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$33.03 ₸15.5K

83.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$7.81 ₸3,670

117.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.04 ₸2,367

79.96%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$48.24 ₸22.7K

1364.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,849 ₸2.3M

225.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$33.02 ₸15.5K

77.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.87 ₸14.0K

18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$120 ₸56.4K

-3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$46.86 ₸22.0K

78.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$297 ₸139.7K

110.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$174 ₸81.7K

156.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$475 ₸223.2K

329.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$365 ₸171.5K

308.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,039 ₸488.5K

235.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$935 ₸439.7K

175.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$415 ₸195.2K

20.36%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $297 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $149 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 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $297 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $48.24 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Shymkent versus $1,250 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 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.