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: $990 in Harare versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,688 in Harare versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Harare versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Harare costs roughly 21% 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

$9.92 ZWL 265

$4.55 ฿153

118.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

$46.18 ฿1,554

6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 ZWL 189

$8.84 ฿298

-19.80%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

$3.06 ฿103

-3.27%

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

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

$0.73 ฿24.42

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

$0.40 ฿13.40

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

$2.43 ฿81.8

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$3.78 ฿127

-45.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

$1.81 ฿60.9

-46.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

$2.25 ฿75.8

-17.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

$2.25 ฿75.6

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ZWL 289

$19.51 ฿656

-44.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ZWL 166

$3.65 ฿123

70.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 ZWL 166

$13.05 ฿439

-52.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

$3.23 ฿109

-11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

$1.62 ฿54.4

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

$2.38 ฿80.2

-8.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

$2.03 ฿68.2

-16.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

$1.53 ฿51.6

1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

$1.50 ฿50.5

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

$0.98 ฿32.93

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

$0.52 ฿17.40

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

$4.44 ฿149

-75.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 ZWL 249

$18.32 ฿616

-49.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

$1.86 ฿62.7

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

$2.68 ฿90.2

-36.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

$1.41 ฿47.49

-30.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

$11.70 ฿394

257.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$3.11 ฿105

60.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

$1.04 ฿35.08

90.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 134

$14.11 ฿475

-64.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

$1.31 ฿44.13

18.32%

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

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-28.38%

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

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-30.74%

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

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

$122 ฿4,120

-52.65%

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

$17.53 ZWL 468

$13.59 ฿457

28.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

$18.70 ฿629

392.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

$60.5 ฿2,035

-10.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 ZWL 380

$16.98 ฿572

-16.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 ZWL 270

$9.07 ฿305

11.47%

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

$277 ZWL 7,384

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-54.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.55 ZWL 522

$58.6 ฿1,970

-66.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.55 ZWL 575

$35.36 ฿1,190

-39.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.11 ZWL 937

$115 ฿3,885

-69.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

$83.7 ฿2,818

-51.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ZWL 10.6K

$626 ฿21.1K

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ZWL 7,436

$445 ฿15.0K

-37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 ZWL 25.5K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 ZWL 18.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-53.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 ZWL 24.9K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-73.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.4K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-84.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 ZWL 10.7K

$500 ฿16.8K

-19.99%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Harare and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 25% 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: $49.00 in Harare vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $289, 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $398 in Harare versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $277 in Harare versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $990 in Harare versus $1,250 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.