Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semey and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Semey 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 Semey and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Semey versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Semey $712
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Semey versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Semey $1,148
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Semey versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Semey $1,584
Phuket $3,154

Living in Semey costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Semey 48% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 ₸2,235

$4.47 ฿151

10.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.82 ₸9,898

$32.41 ฿1,094

-32.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ₸2,491

$8.81 ฿297

-37.68%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₸771

$2.83 ฿95.4

-39.93%

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

$0.76 ₸345

$0.87 ฿29.42

-12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸216

$0.49 ฿16.66

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ₸412

$2.56 ฿86.3

-64.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸614

$3.68 ฿124

-63.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₸469

$1.66 ฿56.0

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ₸167

$1.46 ฿49.32

-74.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.50 ฿50.5

24.00%

Eggs

$1.53 ₸693

$2.09 ฿70.5

-26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 ₸2,432

$19.07 ฿643

-71.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 ₸1,751

$3.30 ฿111

16.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.43 ₸2,461

$10.91 ฿368

-50.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ₸559

$2.93 ฿98.9

-58.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₸748

$1.69 ฿57.0

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₸781

$2.25 ฿75.8

-23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ₸768

$2.08 ฿70.1

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₸176

$1.51 ฿51.0

-74.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₸274

$1.38 ฿46.54

-56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₸461

$1.07 ฿35.97

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸448

$0.52 ฿17.51

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,116

$4.20 ฿142

-41.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₸3,282

$18.79 ฿634

-61.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸596

$1.82 ฿61.5

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₸998

$2.84 ฿95.9

-22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$1.45 ฿49.00

-82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.69 ₸7,119

$56.7 ฿1,912

-72.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₸586

$3.02 ฿102

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ₸515

$1.02 ฿34.34

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ₸2,968

$3.69 ฿125

77.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸293

$1.47 ฿49.78

-55.78%

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

$32.4K ₸14.7M

$26.8K ฿903.7K

20.89%

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

$26.3K ₸11.9M

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-1.55%

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

$33.66 ₸15.3K

$96.4 ฿3,252

-65.06%

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

$9.01 ₸4,088

$11.26 ฿380

-19.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.84 ₸8,544

$16.85 ฿569

11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 ₸19.2K

$67.2 ฿2,269

-36.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.23 ₸5,095

$10.73 ฿362

4.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 ₸1,993

$7.50 ฿253

-41.47%

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

$132 ₸60.0K

$476 ฿16.1K

-72.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,406 ₸2.0M

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-60.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.90 ₸13.1K

$62.4 ฿2,105

-53.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.47 ₸11.6K

$28.41 ฿959

-10.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₸45.4K

$94.3 ฿3,182

6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 ₸34.7K

$85.8 ฿2,896

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₸153.5K

$716 ฿24.2K

-52.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₸103.8K

$491 ฿16.6K

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₸276.9K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-68.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₸221.6K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-65.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₸546.7K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-71.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$739 ₸335.4K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-75.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

5.57

245.60%

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

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Semey

$229 32.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 115% $262

Groceries & Markets

Semey

$154 21.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 72.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Semey

$104 14.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 17.3% $18

Eating Out

Semey

$88 12.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 37.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semey

$62 8.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 102% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Semey

$51 7.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 60.8% $31

Getting Around

Semey

$24 3.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 198% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Semey and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Semey vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $266 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Semey

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

2 h ahead of Semey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,456

79,308

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Semey Phuket 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Semey
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

Semey vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,068 in Semey and $1,917 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: $339 in Semey versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $132 in Semey 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 72% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $712 in Semey versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Semey 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.

Expats usually find Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.