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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $555 in Taraz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $888 in Taraz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,221 in Taraz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 125% more expensive than in Taraz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Taraz 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.82 ₸2,739

-21.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$19.52 ₸9,191

136.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.95 ₸2,802

48.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.36 ₸639

125.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.76 ₸360

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.38 ₸177

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.20 ₸563

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.60 ₸755

136.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.94 ₸443

140.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.38 ₸178

376.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.14 ₸536

97.37%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.73 ₸816

30.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.78 ₸4,134

122.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.56 ₸2,148

-19.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.29 ₸3,432

79.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.30 ₸612

148.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.89 ₸891

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.93 ₸907

23.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.88 ₸885

7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.54 ₸255

183.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 ₸191

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.99 ₸467

-1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.76 ₸360

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.98 ₸930

124.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.11 ₸1,934

345.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.92 ₸434

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.59 ₸747

68.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.18 ₸84.6

683.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.77 ₸360

303.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.38 ₸180

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$3.44 ₸1,619

310.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.45 ₸213

191.11%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$20.3K ₸9.5M

37.27%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.3K ₸10.0M

55.92%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$50.1 ₸23.6K

144.34%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.87 ₸3,707

72.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.73 ₸3,641

141.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$32.02 ₸15.1K

88.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.84 ₸1,806

136.20%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$211 ₸99.1K

235.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,944 ₸2.3M

219.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$23.76 ₸11.2K

146.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$38.49 ₸18.1K

-8.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$98.6 ₸46.4K

17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$58.0 ₸27.3K

44.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$237 ₸111.8K

163.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$98.7 ₸46.5K

350.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$398 ₸187.3K

412.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$179 ₸84.1K

735.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$812 ₸382.5K

328.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$563 ₸265.2K

357.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$264 ₸124.4K

89.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.25

-67.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Taraz: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $237 in Taraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 89% 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 Taraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $162 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% 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 $237 in Taraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $211 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 $20.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $555 in Taraz versus $1,250 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 125% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.