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: $638 in Chilanga versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $958 in Chilanga versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,278 in Chilanga versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Chilanga costs roughly 48% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chilanga 52% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 ZMW 138

$4.63 ฿151

58.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 ZMW 463

$46.84 ฿1,523

-47.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.62 ZMW 68.2

$8.84 ฿287

-59.05%

Cappuccino

$2.00 ZMW 37.57

$3.00 ฿97.4

-33.33%

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

$0.68 ZMW 12.75

$0.74 ฿24.11

-8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ZMW 6.79

$0.37 ฿11.88

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ZMW 17.75

$2.44 ฿79.3

-61.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ZMW 32.72

$3.61 ฿117

-51.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ZMW 24.19

$2.26 ฿73.5

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ZMW 15.07

$1.84 ฿59.8

-56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 29.71

$2.24 ฿73.0

-29.46%

Eggs

$1.79 ZMW 33.71

$2.32 ฿75.3

-22.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 ZMW 145

$19.67 ฿639

-60.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ZMW 73.7

$3.65 ฿119

7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.64 ZMW 87.4

$13.10 ฿426

-64.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ZMW 48.26

$3.39 ฿110

-24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ZMW 31.38

$1.64 ฿53.4

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 ZMW 52.0

$2.41 ฿78.5

14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ZMW 21.87

$2.03 ฿66.0

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 ZMW 35.84

$1.56 ฿50.6

21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ZMW 25.75

$1.50 ฿48.66

-8.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ZMW 17.47

$1.02 ฿33.30

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ZMW 9.61

$0.49 ฿15.91

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ZMW 47.85

$4.45 ฿145

-42.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 ZMW 151

$18.88 ฿614

-57.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ZMW 21.27

$1.78 ฿57.7

-36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ZMW 28.12

$2.75 ฿89.5

-45.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 ZMW 52.0

$3.12 ฿101

-11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 ZMW 177

$14.09 ฿458

-33.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ZMW 23.34

$1.35 ฿43.93

-8.15%

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

$7,908 ZMW 148.8K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-70.91%

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

$28.9K ZMW 543.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-12.34%

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

$89.6 ZMW 1,687

$125 ฿4,063

-28.30%

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

$53.3 ZMW 1,004

$13.57 ฿441

293.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 ZMW 2,321

$18.52 ฿602

565.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 ZMW 80.6

$9.19 ฿299

-53.43%

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

$174 ZMW 3,273

$698 ฿22.7K

-75.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,494 ZMW 178.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-39.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ZMW 351

$57.8 ฿1,878

-67.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.11 ZMW 322

$35.24 ฿1,146

-51.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 ZMW 1,601

$113 ฿3,677

-24.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ZMW 1,382

$86.4 ฿2,808

-14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 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 $174 vs $292 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 93% in total monthly costs ($638 vs $1,232 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $957 in Chilanga and $1,847 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 $174 in Chilanga versus $698 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 $638 in Chilanga versus $1,232 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 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.