Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Harare versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Harare versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Harare versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Harare costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 ZWL 272

$4.70 ฿153

115.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 ZWL 1,347

$45.37 ฿1,482

10.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 ZWL 189

$8.43 ฿275

-16.61%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ZWL 77.7

$2.93 ฿95.6

-1.37%

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

$0.67 ZWL 17.95

$0.69 ฿22.40

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 12.67

$0.37 ฿11.99

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.53

$2.41 ฿78.6

-39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$3.72 ฿122

-44.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ZWL 43.68

$2.23 ฿72.9

-26.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.54

$1.83 ฿59.8

-43.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ZWL 50.7

$2.17 ฿70.8

-12.90%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

$2.21 ฿72.3

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ZWL 289

$19.74 ฿645

-45.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$3.63 ฿119

71.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$13.53 ฿442

-53.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 79.9

$3.28 ฿107

-9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 44.15

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ZWL 61.3

$2.41 ฿78.6

-5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 44.55

$2.08 ฿68.1

-20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ZWL 40.67

$1.53 ฿49.93

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ZWL 53.3

$1.48 ฿48.36

34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ZWL 26.22

$0.99 ฿32.29

-1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ZWL 26.01

$0.51 ฿16.67

90.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

$4.41 ฿144

-74.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 ZWL 247

$19.38 ฿633

-52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.79

$1.78 ฿58.1

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.84

$2.71 ฿88.6

-36.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZWL 26.15

$1.37 ฿44.79

-29.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 ZWL 1,159

$11.39 ฿372

278.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$3.02 ฿98.6

61.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

$0.99 ฿32.48

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ZWL 133

$14.10 ฿461

-64.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.13

$1.36 ฿44.51

15.44%

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

$19.8K ZWL 530.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-29.93%

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

$23.9K ZWL 640.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-27.47%

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

$58.6 ZWL 1,573

$122 ฿3,975

-51.87%

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

$17.79 ZWL 478

$13.57 ฿443

31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.2 ZWL 2,501

$18.31 ฿598

408.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ZWL 1,437

$60.2 ฿1,967

-11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 ZWL 381

$17.14 ฿560

-17.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 ZWL 267

$8.69 ฿284

14.27%

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

$283 ZWL 7,599

$693 ฿22.6K

-59.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,356 ZWL 197.5K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-53.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.00 ZWL 510

$59.5 ฿1,944

-68.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.04 ZWL 565

$34.77 ฿1,136

-39.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.77 ZWL 934

$115 ฿3,743

-69.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.05 ZWL 1,075

$83.3 ฿2,720

-51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

-34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ZWL 7,527

$437 ฿14.3K

-35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ZWL 25.3K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-55.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 ZWL 18.5K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-54.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 ZWL 24.1K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-76.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.5K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-85.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 ZWL 10.6K

$508 ฿16.6K

-22.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

5.33

149.72%

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

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Harare and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% 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: $50.0 in Harare vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $293, with Harare cheaper for home cooking.

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

Harare vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Clothing & Footwear. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 29% less. 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: $403 in Harare versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Harare versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare 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, Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.