Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarkand and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarkand: $636 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Samarkand
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Samarkand Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Samarkand

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$636

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samarkand and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samarkand and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $636 in Samarkand versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Samarkand $636
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,013 in Samarkand versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Samarkand $1,013
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,391 in Samarkand versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Samarkand $1,391
Phuket $3,154

Living in Samarkand costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samarkand 53% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 UZS 81.5K

$4.47 ฿151

52.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.65 UZS 235.0K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-39.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 UZS 57.2K

$8.81 ฿297

-45.74%

Cappuccino

$2.54 UZS 30.4K

$2.83 ฿95.5

-10.25%

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

$0.76 UZS 9,039

$0.87 ฿29.43

-12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 UZS 2,497

$0.49 ฿16.67

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 UZS 19.7K

$2.56 ฿86.4

-35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 UZS 27.1K

$3.68 ฿124

-38.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 UZS 12.8K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 UZS 3,790

$1.46 ฿49.35

-78.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 UZS 19.1K

$1.50 ฿50.6

6.00%

Eggs

$1.33 UZS 15.9K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 UZS 97.9K

$19.07 ฿644

-57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 UZS 50.1K

$3.30 ฿111

26.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 UZS 125.4K

$10.91 ฿368

-3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 UZS 10.3K

$2.93 ฿99.0

-70.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 UZS 21.0K

$1.69 ฿57.1

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 UZS 20.4K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 UZS 20.4K

$2.08 ฿70.1

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 UZS 6,156

$1.51 ฿51.0

-66.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.15 UZS 1,820

$1.38 ฿46.56

-89.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.26 UZS 3,139

$1.07 ฿35.99

-75.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 UZS 4,888

$0.52 ฿17.52

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.65 UZS 19.8K

$4.20 ฿142

-60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.44 UZS 41.1K

$18.79 ฿634

-81.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 UZS 12.2K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 UZS 24.4K

$2.84 ฿95.9

-28.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 UZS 2,859

$1.45 ฿49.03

-83.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.42 UZS 40.9K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-93.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 UZS 3,900

$3.02 ฿102

-89.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UZS 3,887

$1.02 ฿34.36

-68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 UZS 40.6K

$3.69 ฿125

-7.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 UZS 14.2K

$1.47 ฿49.81

-19.05%

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

$17.3K UZS 207.0M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-35.36%

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

$21.1K UZS 252.5M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-20.92%

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

$41.16 UZS 492.3K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-57.28%

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

$3.92 UZS 46.9K

$11.26 ฿380

-65.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.63 UZS 163.0K

$16.85 ฿569

-19.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.16 UZS 468.4K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-41.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.56 UZS 78.5K

$10.73 ฿362

-38.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.21 UZS 38.4K

$7.50 ฿253

-57.20%

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

$380 UZS 4.5M

$476 ฿16.1K

-20.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,387 UZS 88.4M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-34.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.48 UZS 245.0K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-67.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 UZS 493.9K

$28.41 ฿959

45.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 UZS 901.5K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-20.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 UZS 707.5K

$85.8 ฿2,898

-31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 UZS 2.9M

$716 ฿24.2K

-66.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 UZS 2.0M

$491 ฿16.6K

-66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 UZS 5.5M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 UZS 3.8M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-77.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,248 UZS 14.9M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-70.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$536 UZS 6.4M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-82.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$306 UZS 3.7M

$502 ฿17.0K

-39.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

5.57

318.49%

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

Last update for Samarkand: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Samarkand

$164 25.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 199% $327

Groceries & Markets

Samarkand

$157 24.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 70% $110

Eating Out

Samarkand

$116 18.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 4.9% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Samarkand

$88 13.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 38% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samarkand

$59 9.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 112% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Samarkand

$46 7.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 80.4% $37

Getting Around

Samarkand

$6.3 1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 1017% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Samarkand and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 64% 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: $20 in Samarkand vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $266 per month, with Samarkand cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Samarkand

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

14:52 2:52 PM

2 h ahead of Samarkand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,200

79,308

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.36 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 11,960 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.36 USD). 1 EUR = 13,311 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Samarkand Phuket 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Samarkand
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Samarkand vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samarkand is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Samarkand. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $239 in Samarkand versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $380 in Samarkand versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $636 in Samarkand versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samarkand but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samarkand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Samarkand 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 Samarkand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.