Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taraz Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taraz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $628 in Taraz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Taraz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Taraz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 101% more expensive than in Taraz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Taraz 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.60 ₸3,875

-45.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$22.04 ₸9,933

46.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.47 ₸2,915

34.16%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.57 ₸709

84.71%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.91 ₸408

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.46 ₸206

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.08 ₸485

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.78 ₸803

109.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.09 ₸490

73.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.41 ₸183

243.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.34 ₸604

20.90%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.73 ₸778

29.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.19 ₸4,592

94.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.16 ₸2,323

-32.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.45 ₸3,810

34.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.20 ₸541

141.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.18 ₸983

-21.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.57 ₸1,160

-11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.41 ₸634

51.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.51 ₸232

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.40 ₸180

255.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.96 ₸434

14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.78 ₸352

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.49 ₸1,120

73.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.39 ₸1,978

323.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.04 ₸467

73.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.57 ₸710

89.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.20 ₸89.9

1025.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.89 ₸401

248.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.38 ₸170

184.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.84 ₸1,731

0.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.64 ₸288

123.44%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$27.7K ₸12.5M

0.46%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$27.4K ₸12.3M

-1.50%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$46.57 ₸21.0K

125.04%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.57 ₸3,861

32.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$8.84 ₸3,985

98.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$36.31 ₸16.4K

49.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.35 ₸1,960

78.85%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$57.6 ₸25.9K

901.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$26.34 ₸11.9K

141.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$33.85 ₸15.3K

-14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$111 ₸50.0K

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$52.9 ₸23.9K

70.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$268 ₸120.8K

173.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$112 ₸50.3K

348.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$437 ₸196.9K

386.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$200 ₸90.2K

525.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$836 ₸376.7K

322.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$598 ₸269.5K

338.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$276 ₸124.3K

83.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

17.83

-68.76%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Taraz: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $268 in Taraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 84% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Taraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $178 per month, with Taraz 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 Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taraz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 84% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $268 in Taraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $57.6 in Taraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taraz – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Taraz versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taraz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taraz 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 Taraz 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 Taraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.