Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lusaka and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $872 in Lusaka versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Lusaka $872
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Lusaka versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Lusaka $1,488
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Lusaka versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Lusaka $2,103
Phuket $2,845

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lusaka 36% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ZMW 111

$4.40 ฿147

26.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.94 ZMW 595

$32.26 ฿1,078

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

$8.76 ฿293

-43.04%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

$2.83 ฿94.5

0.35%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

$0.90 ฿30.14

-14.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

$0.47 ฿15.56

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

$2.55 ฿85.2

-50.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

$3.83 ฿128

-39.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

$1.73 ฿57.7

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

$1.47 ฿49.11

-20.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

$1.51 ฿50.6

33.11%

Eggs

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

$2.17 ฿72.7

-9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 ZMW 209

$19.70 ฿658

-46.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 ZMW 126

$3.34 ฿112

89.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 131

$11.16 ฿373

-40.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

$2.85 ฿95.1

15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

$1.70 ฿56.9

44.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

$2.19 ฿73.3

67.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

$2.05 ฿68.4

-23.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

$1.45 ฿48.57

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

$1.38 ฿46.16

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

$1.07 ฿35.69

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

$0.51 ฿16.91

45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

$4.26 ฿142

-30.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 ZMW 201

$18.58 ฿621

-45.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

$1.78 ฿59.7

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

$2.85 ฿95.2

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

$2.26 ฿75.6

-57.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 ZMW 995

$22.10 ฿738

126.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

$3.01 ฿101

-18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

$1.06 ฿35.34

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

$3.86 ฿129

29.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

$1.45 ฿48.45

4.14%

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

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-70.97%

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

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

3.30%

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

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

$96.4 ฿3,221

-15.20%

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

$10.28 ZMW 204

$11.04 ฿369

-6.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

$17.14 ฿573

217.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

$52.2 ฿1,744

5.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$11.16 ฿373

36.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ZMW 120

$7.81 ฿261

-22.79%

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

$139 ZMW 2,774

$556 ฿18.6K

-74.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

42.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.04 ZMW 458

$64.2 ฿2,146

-64.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.19 ZMW 302

$28.69 ฿959

-47.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.38 ZMW 903

$95.4 ฿3,187

-52.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

$88.0 ฿2,940

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ZMW 7,564

$737 ฿24.6K

-48.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ZMW 3,513

$462 ฿15.5K

-61.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-49.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ZMW 11.8K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-50.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-45.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

98.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$316 ZMW 6,290

$501 ฿16.7K

-36.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

420.65%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$238 27.3%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 13% $31

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$177 20.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 162% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$146 16.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 14.9% $22

Eating Out

Lusaka

$110 12.6%

Phuket

$121 10% 10.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 76.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 0.9% $0.6

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 38.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Lusaka and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 58% 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: $30.00 in Lusaka vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $269 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

20:18 8:18 PM

5 h ahead of Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lusaka Phuket 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Lusaka vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Phuket differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($872 vs $1,208 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% 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: $380 in Lusaka versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $872 per month in Lusaka versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 126% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $872 in Lusaka versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka 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, Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.