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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $794 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,254 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,714 in Mutare, rent included.

Phuket costs about 59% more than Mutare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Mutare 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.82 ZWL 262

-54.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$49.05 ZWL 1,309

-7.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.38 ZWL 117

100.00%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.24 ZWL 32.96

139.52%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.66 ZWL 17.65

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.43 ZWL 11.43

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.39 ZWL 37.06

82.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.78 ZWL 47.41

110.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.23 ZWL 32.72

74.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.01 ZWL 27.04

80.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.33 ZWL 35.35

63.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.93 ZWL 51.6

16.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

553.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.90 ZWL 104

-6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$4.89 ZWL 130

177.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

60.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.62 ZWL 43.14

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.99 ZWL 53.0

17.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.97 ZWL 26.01

113.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.54 ZWL 41.09

0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.02 ZWL 27.35

43.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.49 ZWL 12.97

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

-51.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.08 ZWL 28.90

302.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.15 ZWL 164

201.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.18 ZWL 31.38

57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.74 ZWL 46.29

52.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.48 ZWL 12.71

195.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$26.97 ZWL 719

-57.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.92 ZWL 78.0

8.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

-47.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.10 ZWL 136

172.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.56 ZWL 41.59

-14.10%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.1K ZWL 535.5K

38.47%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.3K ZWL 622.6K

43.05%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$57.8 ZWL 1,541

113.07%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$15.22 ZWL 406

-9.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$60.3 ZWL 1,610

-69.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$40.37 ZWL 1,077

50.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.94 ZWL 132

247.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$10.09 ZWL 269

-12.09%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$148 ZWL 3,951

364.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,359 ZWL 196.3K

114.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$10.03 ZWL 268

491.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$9.58 ZWL 255

262.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$24.60 ZWL 656

368.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$20.04 ZWL 535

317.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$351 ZWL 9,353

77.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$255 ZWL 6,791

75.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$763 ZWL 20.4K

166.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$399 ZWL 10.6K

275.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$251 ZWL 6,705

1274.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$248 ZWL 6,606

99.38%

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 Mutare: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $351 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 99% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $49.00 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $291 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 59%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,191 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 133% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Phuket and $148 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 $794, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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.