Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Urganch Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Urganch

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $420 in Urganch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $721 in Urganch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,022 in Urganch.

Living in Phuket is roughly 193% more expensive than in Urganch, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Urganch 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.84 UZS 45.2K

14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$30.01 UZS 352.9K

7.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.83 UZS 45.1K

133.16%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.92 UZS 22.6K

51.04%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.81 UZS 9,496

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.24 UZS 2,809

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.26 UZS 14.8K

86.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.94 UZS 11.0K

98.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.98 UZS 11.6K

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.53 UZS 18.0K

1.31%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.89 UZS 22.2K

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.72 UZS 55.5K

315.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.02 UZS 59.0K

-31.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.36 UZS 86.6K

54.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.34 UZS 15.7K

122.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.80 UZS 21.2K

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.50 UZS 29.4K

-11.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.11 UZS 24.8K

2.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.78 UZS 9,200

94.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.50 UZS 5,852

168.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.73 UZS 8,622

54.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.44 UZS 5,136

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.92 UZS 22.6K

121.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.31 UZS 3,647

619.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.32 UZS 3,813

846.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.40 UZS 4,732

155.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.14 UZS 13.4K

30.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

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

$102 ฿3,420

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.55 UZS 41.7K

219.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$10.17 UZS 119.6K

71.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$14.44 UZS 169.9K

260.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.22 UZS 49.6K

82.23%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$12.89 UZS 151.5K

388.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$12.52 UZS 147.2K

135.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$41.97 UZS 493.6K

110.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$162 UZS 1.9M

354.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$128 UZS 1.5M

276.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$276 UZS 3.2M

663.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$208 UZS 2.4M

488.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,092 UZS 36.4M

16.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,592 UZS 42.2M

-27.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$420 UZS 4.9M

17.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Urganch: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $162 in Urganch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 18% 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 $30.00 in Urganch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $144 per month, with Urganch 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 Urganch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urganch is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 193% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $162 in Urganch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Urganch – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $420 in Urganch versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Urganch but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Urganch the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Urganch 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 Urganch 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 Urganch gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.