Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zabol

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabol: $518 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Zabol
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Zabol Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Zabol

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zabol

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Zabol actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $518 in Zabol.

Phuket $1,294
Zabol $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $812 in Zabol.

Phuket $2,204
Zabol $812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,107 in Zabol.

Phuket $3,115
Zabol $1,107

Living in Phuket is roughly 150% more expensive than in Zabol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Zabol 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$1.98 $1.98

121.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$15.76 $15.76

105.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$3.98 $3.98

118.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$0.52 $0.52

423.08%

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

$0.93 ฿31.38

$0.51 $0.51

82.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.99 $0.99

-49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$0.70 $0.70

148.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.48 $0.48

202.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.06 $2.06

-27.18%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.24 $1.24

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$4.44 $4.44

329.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$3.28 $3.28

3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$10.19 $10.19

6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.03 $1.03

185.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.62 $1.62

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$0.81 $0.81

170.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$0.56 $0.56

278.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.19

$0.54 $0.54

170.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.14

$0.50 $0.50

174.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.29

$0.57 $0.57

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.40

$0.24 $0.24

129.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.48 $2.48

78.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.15 $0.15

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,851

$9.50 $9.50

477.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.38 $0.38

297.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.17

$0.29 $0.29

168.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$2.65 $2.65

44.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.10 $0.10

1390.00%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$50.2K $50.2K

-46.48%

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

$26.3K ฿888.6K

$46.6K $46.6K

-43.50%

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

$97.8 ฿3,299

$12.87 $12.87

659.98%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$1.53 $1.53

637.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$3.95 $3.95

335.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$18.26 $18.26

274.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$13.20 $13.20

-17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$1.94 $1.94

282.99%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$107 $107

397.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.5K

$2,365 $2,365

694.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,080

$22.98 $22.98

168.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$27.85 $27.85

1.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,238

$98.0 $98.0

-1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,928

$71.0 $71.0

22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$285 $285

152.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$213 $213

139.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$789 $789

147.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$350 $350

299.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$1,132 $1,132

270.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$533 $533

518.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$149 $149

229.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zabol: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Zabol

$213 41.1% 58.2% $296

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Zabol

$114 22% 57.3% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Zabol

$18 3.5% 85.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Zabol

$99 19.1% 19.4% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Zabol

$40 7.7% 66.5% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Zabol

$22 4.3% 73.4% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Zabol

$12 2.3% 82% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $285 in Zabol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Zabol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $114 per month, with Zabol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Zabol

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

140,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Zabol 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zabol

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zabol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zabol is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $285 in Zabol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $107 in Zabol. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $518 in Zabol versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zabol but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zabol 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.

Expats usually find Zabol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.