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: $1,028 in Harare versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,706 in Harare versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Harare versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Harare costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 25% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ZWL 266

$4.56 ฿150

118.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

$32.62 ฿1,073

23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 ZWL 158

$8.90 ฿293

-33.48%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

$2.80 ฿92.2

10.00%

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

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

$0.88 ฿28.94

5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

$0.49 ฿16.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

$2.39 ฿78.5

-38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$3.71 ฿122

-44.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

$1.79 ฿58.8

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

$1.44 ฿47.40

-28.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

$1.58 ฿52.1

3.80%

Eggs

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

$2.13 ฿69.9

-12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 ZWL 320

$19.92 ฿655

-39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 ZWL 148

$3.43 ฿113

60.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.50 ZWL 174

$11.33 ฿372

-42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

$2.95 ฿97.0

6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

$1.72 ฿56.6

-6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

$2.32 ฿76.5

-12.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

$2.08 ฿68.4

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

$1.47 ฿48.34

17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

$1.36 ฿44.65

36.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

$1.10 ฿36.13

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

$0.57 ฿18.89

75.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

$4.27 ฿140

-54.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 ZWL 237

$18.42 ฿606

-51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

$1.87 ฿61.5

-26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

$2.92 ฿96.1

-33.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

$2.22 ฿73.0

-53.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

$22.90 ฿753

163.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ZWL 109

$3.03 ฿99.6

34.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

$1.07 ฿35.32

91.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$3.93 ฿129

24.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

$1.49 ฿49.06

20.13%

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

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-17.34%

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

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-0.19%

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

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

$103 ฿3,380

-47.00%

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

$21.79 ZWL 582

$10.99 ฿361

98.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

$17.51 ฿576

285.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

$53.5 ฿1,760

-8.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 ZWL 612

$11.20 ฿368

104.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 ZWL 270

$7.48 ฿246

35.03%

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

$471 ZWL 12.6K

$557 ฿18.3K

-15.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-23.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.01 ZWL 642

$64.1 ฿2,107

-62.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.84 ZWL 557

$29.07 ฿956

-28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

$96.0 ฿3,155

-59.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

$90.3 ฿2,970

-53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 ZWL 10.9K

$730 ฿24.0K

-43.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ZWL 8,559

$500 ฿16.4K

-35.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 ZWL 22.0K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-60.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ZWL 19.9K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-38.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 ZWL 24.9K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-74.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$385 ZWL 10.3K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-84.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 ZWL 11.5K

$503 ฿16.6K

-14.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

5.57

145.78%

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

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Harare and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $40.00 in Harare vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $273, 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, Clothing & Footwear. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $410 in Harare versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $471 in Harare versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Harare versus $1,253 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.