Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chinhoyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chinhoyi: $644 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Chinhoyi
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Chinhoyi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Chinhoyi

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Chinhoyi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $644 in Chinhoyi.

Phuket $1,294
Chinhoyi $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,016 in Chinhoyi.

Phuket $2,204
Chinhoyi $1,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,388 in Chinhoyi.

Phuket $3,115
Chinhoyi $1,388

Living in Phuket is roughly 101% more expensive than in Chinhoyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Chinhoyi 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$2.02 ZWL 53.7

117.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$45.05 ZWL 1,196

-28.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$4.39 ZWL 116

98.18%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$0.98 ZWL 25.97

177.55%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$0.34 ZWL 9.12

173.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.26 ZWL 6.92

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$1.02 ZWL 27.17

148.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.05 ZWL 54.3

77.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.54 ZWL 40.92

12.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$0.87 ZWL 23.18

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.66 ZWL 43.99

-9.64%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.93 ZWL 51.2

12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$11.63 ZWL 309

64.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.03 ZWL 80.5

12.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$3.91 ZWL 104

178.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$1.03 ZWL 27.25

185.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$0.97 ZWL 25.84

74.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$0.99 ZWL 26.18

121.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$0.97 ZWL 25.86

118.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$1.01 ZWL 26.90

44.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$1.01 ZWL 26.83

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$0.52 ZWL 13.74

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.82 ZWL 21.88

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$1.74 ZWL 46.25

154.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$7.19 ZWL 191

153.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$0.49 ZWL 12.96

261.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$0.98 ZWL 26.02

193.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$0.98 ZWL 26.02

47.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

$29.64 ZWL 787

85.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$3.96 ZWL 105

-61.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$1.98 ZWL 52.5

-60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$5.05 ZWL 134

-23.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$1.40 ZWL 37.22

6.43%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$22.2K ZWL 590.3K

20.86%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

$27.4K ZWL 727.7K

-3.91%

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$39.97 ZWL 1,061

144.71%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$19.68 ZWL 522

-42.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$73.9 ZWL 1,961

-76.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$10.15 ZWL 269

-26.80%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$424 ZWL 11.2K

25.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$15.0K ZWL 398.1K

25.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$21.27 ZWL 565

189.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$19.81 ZWL 526

42.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$35.82 ZWL 951

168.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$39.84 ZWL 1,057

117.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$182 ZWL 4,826

179.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$297 ZWL 7,878

370.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$197 ZWL 5,239

149.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.69

-59.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chinhoyi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Chinhoyi

$182 28.2% 64.3% $327

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Chinhoyi

$156 24.2% 41.6% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Chinhoyi

$134 20.7% 5.7% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Chinhoyi

$53 8.2% 57.2% $70

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Chinhoyi

$53 8.2% 55.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Chinhoyi

$20 * 3.2% 75.6% $63

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Chinhoyi

$47 7.4% 28.3% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $45 in Chinhoyi. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $156, with Chinhoyi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇼 Chinhoyi

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

13:59 1:59 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

56,794

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 26.54 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.77 USD). 1 EUR = 29.81 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Chinhoyi 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Chinhoyi

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

Phuket vs Chinhoyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $644 in Chinhoyi, so Chinhoyi is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $45 in Chinhoyi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $644 in Chinhoyi – Chinhoyi is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $644 in Chinhoyi versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Chinhoyi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chinhoyi 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.

It comes down to priorities – Chinhoyi wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.