Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,088 in Qapshaghay versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,652 in Qapshaghay versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,215 in Qapshaghay versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Qapshaghay costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qapshaghay 20% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₸4,915

$4.41 ฿147

150.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.06 ₸9,831

$32.26 ฿1,073

-31.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.58 ₸2,931

$8.93 ฿297

-26.32%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₸805

$2.90 ฿96.3

-37.59%

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

$1.00 ₸444

$0.88 ฿29.27

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸291

$0.48 ฿16.00

35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₸583

$2.35 ฿78.2

-44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸605

$3.72 ฿124

-63.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸755

$1.87 ฿62.0

-9.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸195

$1.47 ฿48.75

-70.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₸950

$1.55 ฿51.6

37.42%

Eggs

$2.49 ₸1,109

$2.10 ฿69.9

18.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 ₸5,476

$19.59 ฿651

-37.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₸3,056

$3.42 ฿114

100.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 ₸4,897

$11.38 ฿378

-3.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₸841

$2.98 ฿99.2

-36.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 ₸1,065

$1.68 ฿56.0

42.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 ₸1,359

$2.21 ฿73.5

38.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,250

$2.16 ฿71.9

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸334

$1.52 ฿50.7

-50.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸247

$1.34 ฿44.49

-58.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₸761

$1.13 ฿37.53

51.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸448

$0.55 ฿18.17

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 ₸714

$4.26 ฿142

-62.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 ₸4,934

$19.09 ฿635

-42.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₸532

$1.78 ฿59.2

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₸1,057

$2.78 ฿92.5

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸80.1

$2.23 ฿74.1

-91.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.06 ₸7,158

$22.74 ฿756

-29.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 ₸393

$3.03 ฿101

-70.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸310

$1.02 ฿34.02

-31.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 ₸1,827

$3.89 ฿129

5.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸253

$1.49 ฿49.57

-61.74%

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

$22.4K ₸10.0M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-15.62%

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

$30.0K ₸13.4M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

10.98%

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

$93.8 ₸41.8K

$102 ฿3,407

-8.42%

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

$10.79 ₸4,808

$11.33 ฿377

-4.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ₸7,797

$17.40 ฿578

0.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.61 ₸19.0K

$52.1 ฿1,732

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 ₸3,051

$7.69 ฿256

-10.92%

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

$147 ₸65.7K

$561 ฿18.6K

-73.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,413 ₸2.0M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-61.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 ₸40.6K

$63.0 ฿2,096

44.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.94 ₸20.9K

$29.52 ฿982

59.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸63.4K

$98.0 ฿3,259

45.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ₸60.1K

$88.5 ฿2,943

52.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ₸202.7K

$738 ฿24.5K

-38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₸137.4K

$482 ฿16.0K

-36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₸323.9K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₸221.8K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-59.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 ₸472.7K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-70.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 ₸432.4K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-62.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.61

5.57

270.02%

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

Last update for Qapshaghay: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Qapshaghay and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Qapshaghay vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $274 per month, with Qapshaghay 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

Qapshaghay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qapshaghay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,633 in Qapshaghay and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Qapshaghay versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Qapshaghay versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,088 in Qapshaghay versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qapshaghay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qapshaghay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qapshaghay 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, Qapshaghay and Phuket 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 Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.