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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $780 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,200 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,620 in Marondera.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Marondera, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Marondera 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.03 ZWL 134

-10.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$49.68 ZWL 1,325

-8.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.19 ZWL 192

21.84%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

50.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.68 ZWL 18.03

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.47 ZWL 12.42

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.52 ZWL 40.67

66.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

92.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.01 ZWL 27.02

112.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.98 ZWL 26.07

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.01 ZWL 26.98

115.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.15 ZWL 57.4

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.08 ZWL 269

98.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.13 ZWL 137

-29.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$4.90 ZWL 131

176.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.99 ZWL 79.7

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.61 ZWL 43.08

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.69 ZWL 45.20

22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.50 ZWL 40.14

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

-28.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.97 ZWL 25.96

1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.93 ZWL 24.90

-48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.13 ZWL 30.16

284.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$3.93 ZWL 105

372.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.14 ZWL 30.30

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.80 ZWL 47.92

47.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$5.02 ZWL 134

-36.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

-47.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.07 ZWL 135

173.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.54 ZWL 41.00

-12.99%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.8K ZWL 529.4K

40.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.7K ZWL 632.3K

40.85%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$58.9 ZWL 1,570

109.06%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.57 ZWL 469

-21.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$94.1 ZWL 2,510

-80.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$9.83 ZWL 262

-9.77%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$274 ZWL 7,311

151.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,385 ZWL 197.0K

113.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$19.28 ZWL 514

207.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$21.07 ZWL 562

64.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$35.05 ZWL 935

228.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$39.91 ZWL 1,065

109.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$249 ZWL 6,636

149.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$253 ZWL 6,752

76.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$403 ZWL 10.8K

404.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$354 ZWL 9,439

322.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Marondera: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $249 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Marondera. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $185, 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $780 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,169 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: $621 in Phuket versus $249 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $274 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 $50.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $780 in Marondera versus $1,264 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.