Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Harare

For one person, living is cheaper in Harare: $1,018 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Harare
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Harare Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Harare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$1,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Harare

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 Harare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,018 in Harare.

Phuket $1,208
Harare $1,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,696 in Harare.

Phuket $2,027
Harare $1,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,375 in Harare.

Phuket $2,845
Harare $2,375

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than in Harare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Harare 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$9.95 ZWL 265

-55.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$45.58 ZWL 1,213

-29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.63 ZWL 150

55.60%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.98 ZWL 79.3

-5.03%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.94 ZWL 24.95

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.45 ZWL 11.98

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$0.99 ZWL 26.31

157.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

96.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.53 ZWL 40.78

13.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.02 ZWL 27.05

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.66 ZWL 44.16

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.98 ZWL 52.7

9.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$11.37 ZWL 303

73.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.40 ZWL 144

-38.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$6.79 ZWL 181

64.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.06 ZWL 81.4

-6.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.63 ZWL 43.25

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

6.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.52 ZWL 40.50

34.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.73 ZWL 46.09

-16.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.80 ZWL 47.94

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.29 ZWL 34.35

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.00 ZWL 26.67

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

118.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$8.33 ZWL 222

123.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.38 ZWL 36.62

28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

44.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.98 ZWL 26.02

130.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$60.8 ZWL 1,618

-63.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.88 ZWL 103

-22.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

-48.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$5.12 ZWL 136

-24.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.79 ZWL 47.75

-18.99%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$21.9K ZWL 582.6K

20.25%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$27.2K ZWL 722.7K

-0.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$50.7 ZWL 1,348

90.29%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$21.89 ZWL 583

-49.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$69.5 ZWL 1,849

-75.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$47.15 ZWL 1,255

10.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$22.40 ZWL 596

-50.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$10.18 ZWL 271

-23.28%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$467 ZWL 12.4K

19.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$8,608 ZWL 229.1K

34.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$23.43 ZWL 623

174.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$21.48 ZWL 572

33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$38.24 ZWL 1,018

149.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$40.39 ZWL 1,075

117.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$384 ZWL 10.2K

92.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$311 ZWL 8,284

48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$835 ZWL 22.2K

150.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$743 ZWL 19.8K

61.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$939 ZWL 25.0K

271.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$393 ZWL 10.4K

542.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$419 ZWL 11.2K

19.41%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Harare: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Harare

$311 30.6% 32.7% $151

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Harare

$216 21.2% 19.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Harare

$142 14% 14% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Harare

$56 5.5% 55.3% $69

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Harare

$147 14.4% 21% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Harare

$68 6.6% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Harare

$79 7.8% 99.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $384 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Harare. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $216, with Harare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇼 Harare

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

18:05 6:05 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,606,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Harare 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Harare

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 Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $384 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $467 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,018 in Harare versus $1,208 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, Phuket and Harare 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.