Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mutare Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mutare

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $792 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,230 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,669 in Mutare, rent included.

Phuket costs about 56% more than Mutare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Mutare 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.19 ZWL 258

-54.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$50.1 ZWL 1,267

-6.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.63 ZWL 117

90.93%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.22 ZWL 30.97

145.90%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.72 ZWL 18.09

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.44 ZWL 11.10

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.39 ZWL 35.14

75.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.77 ZWL 44.75

103.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.21 ZWL 30.73

86.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.03 ZWL 25.97

78.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.26 ZWL 31.98

77.78%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.88 ZWL 47.57

23.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$2.94 ZWL 74.3

569.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.07 ZWL 103

-10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$4.92 ZWL 124

166.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.01 ZWL 51.0

68.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.70 ZWL 42.92

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.05 ZWL 51.9

17.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.97 ZWL 24.55

109.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.51 ZWL 38.31

3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.97 ZWL 24.54

54.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.52 ZWL 13.23

96.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.01 ZWL 25.61

-51.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.12 ZWL 28.35

297.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.95 ZWL 151

217.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.17 ZWL 29.69

52.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.72 ZWL 43.58

59.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.48 ZWL 12.12

191.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$27.10 ZWL 686

-57.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.06 ZWL 77.5

1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.95 ZWL 49.35

-48.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.89 ZWL 124

188.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.55 ZWL 39.30

-12.90%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.4K ZWL 515.3K

33.46%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.0K ZWL 582.6K

42.98%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$57.2 ZWL 1,447

118.53%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.03 ZWL 380

-9.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$61.1 ZWL 1,546

-69.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$40.40 ZWL 1,022

52.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.87 ZWL 123

245.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.12 ZWL 256

-9.19%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$146 ZWL 3,686

379.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,422 ZWL 187.8K

110.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$9.91 ZWL 251

482.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$9.43 ZWL 239

273.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$25.45 ZWL 644

344.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$19.94 ZWL 504

333.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$346 ZWL 8,761

77.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$251 ZWL 6,358

77.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$750 ZWL 19.0K

173.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$400 ZWL 10.1K

273.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$253 ZWL 6,397

1394.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$252 ZWL 6,365

108.19%

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 Mutare: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $346 in Mutare. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 108% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $50.0 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Phuket vs $154 in Mutare – so Mutare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 56%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,187 in Mutare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mutare, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 136% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $146 in Mutare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mutare, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Mutare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mutare – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mutare. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.