Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Shymkent versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Shymkent $808
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,390 in Shymkent versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Shymkent $1,390
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Shymkent versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Shymkent $1,971
Phuket $2,845

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 40% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$4.40 ฿147

155.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$32.26 ฿1,078

3.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$8.76 ฿293

-25.80%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$2.83 ฿94.5

-10.25%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$0.90 ฿30.14

14.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.47 ฿15.56

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$2.55 ฿85.2

-57.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$3.83 ฿128

-64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.73 ฿57.7

-15.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.47 ฿49.11

-72.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.51 ฿50.6

18.54%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.17 ฿72.7

-20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$19.70 ฿658

-49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$3.34 ฿112

57.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$11.16 ฿373

-19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$2.85 ฿95.1

-58.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$1.70 ฿56.9

24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.19 ฿73.3

17.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.05 ฿68.4

-34.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$1.45 ฿48.57

-62.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.38 ฿46.16

-70.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.07 ฿35.69

-17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.51 ฿16.91

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$4.26 ฿142

-42.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$18.58 ฿621

-75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.78 ฿59.7

-42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.85 ฿95.2

-47.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$2.26 ฿75.6

-93.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$3.01 ฿101

-71.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$1.06 ฿35.34

-67.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$3.86 ฿129

159.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$1.45 ฿48.45

-55.86%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

3.22%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

7.82%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$96.4 ฿3,221

-50.93%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$11.04 ฿369

-13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$17.14 ฿573

-13.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$52.2 ฿1,744

-25.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$11.16 ฿373

-20.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$7.81 ฿261

-27.27%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$556 ฿18.6K

-89.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$64.2 ฿2,146

-41.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$28.69 ฿959

17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$95.4 ฿3,187

95.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$88.0 ฿2,940

-39.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$737 ฿24.6K

-54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$462 ฿15.5K

-56.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-66.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-54.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-68.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-60.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$501 ฿16.7K

-11.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

5.57

227.65%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 127% $259

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 45.2% $84

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 21.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 11.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 73.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 35.1% $18

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 1148% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Shymkent and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% 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: $33.00 in Shymkent vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $269, with Shymkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

1 h ahead of Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

79,308

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Phuket 4,750 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
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

Shymkent vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Phuket. 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: $338 in Shymkent versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57.8 in Shymkent versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $808 in Shymkent versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shymkent 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, Shymkent 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 Shymkent 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.