Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Harare Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Harare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Harare.

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

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

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.95 ZWL 266

-54.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.92 ZWL 158

50.34%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

-9.09%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

-5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

61.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

80.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

11.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

-3.66%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.97 ZWL 320

66.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.52 ZWL 148

-37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$6.50 ZWL 174

74.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

-6.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

7.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

-15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

-26.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

-43.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

117.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$8.88 ZWL 237

107.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

36.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

50.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

115.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

-62.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$4.08 ZWL 109

-25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

-47.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$4.89 ZWL 131

-19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

-16.76%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

20.98%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

0.19%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

88.69%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$21.79 ZWL 582

-49.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

-74.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

9.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$22.89 ZWL 612

-51.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$10.10 ZWL 270

-25.94%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$471 ZWL 12.6K

18.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

31.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$24.01 ZWL 642

166.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$20.84 ZWL 557

39.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

146.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

113.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$410 ZWL 10.9K

78.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$320 ZWL 8,559

56.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$823 ZWL 22.0K

154.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$744 ZWL 19.9K

62.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$932 ZWL 24.9K

286.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$385 ZWL 10.3K

551.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$430 ZWL 11.5K

17.14%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $410 in Harare. 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Harare. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $218, 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

Phuket vs Harare: 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.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $410 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $471 in Harare. 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, 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.