Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Chilanga versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $973 in Chilanga versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,299 in Chilanga versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Chilanga costs roughly 49% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chilanga 52% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 ZMW 127

$4.56 ฿149

58.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.14 ZMW 439

$46.63 ฿1,519

-46.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ZMW 65.9

$8.47 ฿276

-55.49%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ZMW 33.66

$3.03 ฿98.6

-36.30%

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

$0.69 ZMW 11.99

$0.69 ฿22.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ZMW 5.82

$0.37 ฿11.92

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ZMW 16.61

$2.49 ฿81.0

-61.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ZMW 31.77

$3.66 ฿119

-50.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ZMW 23.00

$2.18 ฿71.0

-39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ZMW 13.22

$1.90 ฿62.0

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 ZMW 28.01

$2.20 ฿71.6

-27.27%

Eggs

$1.80 ZMW 31.46

$2.22 ฿72.4

-18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 ZMW 139

$19.99 ฿651

-60.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ZMW 66.4

$3.66 ฿119

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.56 ZMW 79.8

$13.25 ฿432

-65.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ZMW 44.71

$3.23 ฿105

-20.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 27.61

$1.70 ฿55.3

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 ZMW 48.49

$2.39 ฿78.0

15.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ZMW 20.30

$2.08 ฿67.7

-44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 ZMW 32.55

$1.59 ฿51.8

16.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ZMW 23.30

$1.48 ฿48.31

-10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ZMW 16.45

$1.03 ฿33.54

-8.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZMW 8.35

$0.52 ฿16.83

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 ZMW 44.67

$4.25 ฿138

-39.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 ZMW 203

$18.79 ฿612

-38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ZMW 19.04

$1.76 ฿57.2

-38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ZMW 27.54

$2.76 ฿89.8

-42.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 ZMW 46.88

$3.14 ฿102

-14.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ZMW 158

$13.77 ฿448

-34.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ZMW 20.72

$1.34 ฿43.79

-11.19%

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

$8,085 ZMW 141.3K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-70.79%

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

$28.9K ZMW 505.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-14.61%

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

$92.2 ZMW 1,611

$124 ฿4,025

-25.41%

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

$52.8 ZMW 922

$13.52 ฿440

290.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 ZMW 2,149

$18.69 ฿609

557.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ZMW 71.9

$9.14 ฿298

-55.03%

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

$179 ZMW 3,130

$703 ฿22.9K

-74.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,430 ZMW 164.8K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-40.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.68 ZMW 326

$59.5 ฿1,937

-68.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.93 ZMW 296

$35.07 ฿1,142

-51.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ZMW 1,469

$115 ฿3,754

-27.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ZMW 1,285

$84.1 ฿2,737

-12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

369.04%

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

Last update for Chilanga: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Chilanga vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $293 per month, with Chilanga 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

Chilanga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chilanga and Phuket differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($646 vs $1,261 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $969 in Chilanga and $1,892 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.

Childcare runs $179 in Chilanga versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $646 in Chilanga versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga 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, Chilanga 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 Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.