Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Marondera Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Marondera

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $794 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,215 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,636 in Marondera.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than Marondera, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Marondera 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.93 ZWL 125

-6.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$50.9 ZWL 1,288

-7.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.04 ZWL 178

25.57%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

45.63%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.70 ZWL 17.76

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.47 ZWL 11.84

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.53 ZWL 38.71

59.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

75.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.98 ZWL 24.75

130.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.02 ZWL 25.76

80.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.02 ZWL 25.91

119.61%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.15 ZWL 54.4

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.03 ZWL 254

96.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.13 ZWL 130

-28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.09 ZWL 129

157.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.03 ZWL 76.6

11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.69 ZWL 42.68

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.96 ZWL 49.49

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.64 ZWL 41.42

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.55 ZWL 39.29

0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.00 ZWL 50.7

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.00 ZWL 25.35

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.00 ZWL 25.30

-51.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.07 ZWL 27.03

315.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.89 ZWL 98.5

385.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.12 ZWL 28.31

58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.74 ZWL 43.99

58.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.92 ZWL 124

-36.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.02 ZWL 51.1

-50.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.91 ZWL 124

186.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.53 ZWL 38.79

-11.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.8K ZWL 501.5K

37.15%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.5K ZWL 595.7K

39.82%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.3 ZWL 1,501

110.69%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.50 ZWL 443

-22.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$90.8 ZWL 2,298

-79.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.11 ZWL 256

-9.10%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$282 ZWL 7,144

147.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,244 ZWL 183.3K

115.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$19.22 ZWL 486

200.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$21.21 ZWL 537

66.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$34.97 ZWL 885

223.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$39.93 ZWL 1,010

116.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$247 ZWL 6,247

149.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$248 ZWL 6,263

80.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$393 ZWL 9,935

421.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$356 ZWL 9,017

318.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.31

-59.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Marondera: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $247 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Marondera. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $186, with Marondera 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 Marondera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Marondera differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $794 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,190 in Marondera to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $247 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $282 in Marondera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marondera – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $794 in Marondera versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marondera but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Marondera 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, Phuket and Marondera 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 Marondera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.