Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kitwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitwe: $181 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kitwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kitwe

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $181 in Kitwe, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Kitwe $181

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,202 in Kitwe, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Kitwe $1,202

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,224 in Kitwe, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Kitwe $2,224

Phuket costs about 605% more than Kitwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kitwe are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kitwe 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.45 ZMW 49.48

15.51%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.57 ZMW 11.58

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.82 ZMW 16.50

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.03 ZMW 41.07

26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.55 ZMW 51.5

44.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.02 ZMW 20.52

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.45 ZMW 49.41

71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.17 ZMW 23.57

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$0.99 ZMW 19.95

186.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.41 ZMW 28.52

4.26%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$30.4K ZMW 613.2K

-12.07%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$98.4 ZMW 1,987

-82.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$14.72 ZMW 297

356.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$601 ZMW 12.1K

-20.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$12.1K ZMW 244.0K

-6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,221 ZMW 24.7K

-41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,487 ZMW 50.2K

-22.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,969 ZMW 39.8K

-27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-84.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kitwe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kitwe

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kitwe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kitwe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kitwe

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kitwe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kitwe

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kitwe

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,221 in Kitwe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇲 Kitwe

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

09:50 9:50 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

522,092

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.76 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 20.2 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.95 USD). 1 EUR = 22.62 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kitwe 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kitwe

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 Kitwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $181 in Kitwe – Kitwe comes out roughly 86% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $272 in Kitwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,221 in Kitwe.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $601 in Kitwe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $181 in Kitwe. That makes Kitwe about 86% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kitwe, where all-in costs run around $181, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kitwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $181 in Kitwe to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.