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 $553 in Taraz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $886 in Taraz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Taraz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 129% more expensive than Taraz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Taraz 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.89 ₸2,885

-20.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$19.45 ₸9,534

133.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.71 ₸2,799

47.64%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.35 ₸663

117.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.79 ₸388

-12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.37 ₸184

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.16 ₸567

107.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.58 ₸772

135.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.01 ₸494

120.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.38 ₸185

381.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.14 ₸557

90.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.73 ₸850

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.55 ₸4,189

130.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.61 ₸2,258

-21.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.18 ₸3,519

88.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.31 ₸641

150.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.88 ₸923

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.90 ₸931

26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.88 ₸922

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.55 ₸268

178.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.38 ₸185

289.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.92 ₸452

7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.71 ₸349

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.97 ₸966

123.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$3.97 ₸1,945

388.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 ₸494

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.52 ₸744

78.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.16 ₸80.2

756.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.75 ₸368

302.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.41 ₸202

141.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.43 ₸1,680

311.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.45 ₸221

202.22%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$20.0K ₸9.8M

40.89%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.7K ₸10.6M

51.93%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$50.8 ₸24.9K

139.52%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.00 ₸3,922

69.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.83 ₸3,837

133.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$32.35 ₸15.9K

86.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.84 ₸1,881

126.30%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$208 ₸102.0K

233.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,932 ₸2.4M

218.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$23.71 ₸11.6K

151.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.49 ₸18.9K

-9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$99.3 ₸48.7K

15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$59.1 ₸28.9K

41.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$236 ₸115.8K

159.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$99.6 ₸48.8K

338.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$390 ₸191.2K

436.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$173 ₸84.6K

774.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$783 ₸383.5K

379.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$558 ₸273.6K

368.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$252 ₸123.5K

101.58%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taraz: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $236 in Taraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 102% 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 $19.00 in Taraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $161 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 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 102% 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 $236 in Taraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $208 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 $19.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $553 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 129% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.