Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zabljak Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zabljak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,246 in Zabljak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,848 in Zabljak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,451 in Zabljak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than Zabljak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Zabljak 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$8.14 €6.94

-42.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$32.49 €27.71

42.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.99 €5.96

24.18%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.77 €1.51

66.67%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$2.24 €1.91

-68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.42 €1.21

-72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$3.23 €2.76

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.81 €3.25

-0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.42 €1.21

56.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.66 €0.56

172.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.42 €1.21

54.23%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$3.09 €2.64

-25.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.33 €6.25

163.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.53 €6.42

-49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$11.63 €9.92

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.24 €1.06

168.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.75 €1.49

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.60 €1.37

43.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.53 €1.31

30.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.72 €0.62

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.71 €0.60

112.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.95 €0.81

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.22 €1.04

-58.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.08 €3.48

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$4.83 €4.12

301.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.23 €1.05

46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.79 €1.53

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.43 €1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$38.21 €32.59

-69.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.14 €0.97

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.59 €0.50

76.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$17.68 €15.08

-22.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.79 €1.52

-27.37%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$29.9K €25.5K

-6.57%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$26.7K €22.8K

23.76%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$118 €101

4.25%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$18.57 €15.84

-25.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$22.78 €19.43

-17.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$44.86 €38.26

36.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$14.55 €12.41

15.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.73 €4.89

54.80%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$422 €360

64.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$10.1K €8,581

59.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$22.75 €19.40

160.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$29.26 €24.96

19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$59.0 €50.3

91.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$70.4 €60.0

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$720 €615

-14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$545 €464

-17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,278 €1,090

63.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$917 €782

63.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$3,935 €3,357

-5.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$2,628 €2,241

1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$856 €730

-37.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.93

-10.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $720 in Zabljak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zabljak pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $32 in Zabljak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $206 per month, with Zabljak cheaper across the board.

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 Zabljak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zabljak is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zabljak earns 61% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $720 in Zabljak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $422 in Zabljak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,246 in Zabljak versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zabljak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zabljak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zabljak is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Zabljak 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 Zabljak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.