Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taraz and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $628 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$628

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Taraz versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Taraz $628
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,004 in Taraz versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Taraz $1,004
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,381 in Taraz versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Taraz $1,381
Phuket $2,867

Living in Taraz costs roughly 48% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taraz 54% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.97 ₸4,056

$4.58 ฿153

95.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.50 ₸10.2K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-30.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 ₸3,051

$8.55 ฿286

-21.05%

Cappuccino

$1.53 ₸691

$2.72 ฿91.0

-43.75%

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

$0.85 ₸383

$0.94 ฿31.25

-9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₸204

$0.49 ฿16.39

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₸510

$2.59 ฿86.6

-56.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₸818

$3.83 ฿128

-52.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₸491

$1.74 ฿58.1

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸196

$1.43 ฿47.82

-69.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ₸589

$1.53 ฿51.0

-15.03%

Eggs

$1.68 ₸761

$2.17 ฿72.7

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ₸4,580

$19.15 ฿640

-47.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₸2,346

$3.30 ฿110

57.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.39 ₸3,794

$11.14 ฿372

-24.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸519

$2.95 ฿98.5

-61.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₸997

$1.68 ฿56.1

31.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 ₸1,122

$2.30 ฿76.8

7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸621

$2.13 ฿71.3

-35.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 ₸251

$1.53 ฿51.1

-63.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$1.36 ฿45.55

-70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₸411

$1.12 ฿37.44

-18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₸380

$0.55 ฿18.24

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₸1,093

$4.26 ฿142

-43.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 ₸1,995

$18.19 ฿608

-75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₸468

$1.74 ฿58.2

-40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸696

$2.79 ฿93.3

-44.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.4

$2.22 ฿74.1

-91.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₸385

$2.91 ฿97.3

-70.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸158

$1.01 ฿33.79

-65.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 ₸1,839

$3.83 ฿128

6.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸301

$1.49 ฿49.85

-55.70%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

5.40%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

3.40%

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

$47.60 ₸21.5K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-52.10%

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

$8.76 ₸3,960

$11.28 ฿377

-22.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.00 ₸4,068

$17.36 ฿580

-48.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-31.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 ₸1,996

$7.57 ฿253

-41.61%

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

$58.8 ₸26.6K

$558 ฿18.7K

-89.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.80 ₸12.1K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-57.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.70 ₸15.7K

$28.58 ฿955

21.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₸50.9K

$96.1 ฿3,213

17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ₸23.8K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-40.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₸121.9K

$729 ฿24.4K

-63.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 ₸49.6K

$460 ฿15.4K

-76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₸203.2K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-78.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₸90.4K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-83.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 ₸391.1K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-74.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 ₸276.3K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-75.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 ₸123.0K

$493 ฿16.5K

-44.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

5.57

220.11%

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

Last update for Taraz: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taraz

$178 28.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 50.6% $90

Eating Out

Taraz

$125 19.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 2.8% $3.5

Accommodation & Living

Taraz

$110 17.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 319% $350

Clothing & Footwear

Taraz

$102 16.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 21.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taraz

$65 10.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 95.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Taraz

$45 7.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 50.5% $23

Getting Around

Taraz

$3.3 * 0.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 1068% $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 $270 in Taraz and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 81% 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: $22.00 in Taraz vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $268 per month, with Taraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Taraz

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

1 h ahead of Taraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,160

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 18, 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 18, 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

Taraz Phuket 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Taraz
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

Taraz vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taraz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% 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: $270 in Taraz versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58.8 in Taraz versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taraz – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Taraz versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taraz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taraz 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, Taraz 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 Taraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.