Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zakynthos

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,703 in Zakynthos, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Zakynthos
Learn more

Zakynthos Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Zakynthos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zakynthos

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 Zakynthos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Zakynthos.

Phuket $1,278
Zakynthos $1,703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,575 in Zakynthos.

Phuket $2,216
Zakynthos $2,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,447 in Zakynthos.

Phuket $3,154
Zakynthos $3,447

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Zakynthos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Zakynthos is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$28.49 €25.52

-84.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$55.3 €49.53

-41.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.11 €9.95

-20.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.52 €4.05

-37.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$5.70 €5.10

-84.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.58 €0.52

-15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.07 €4.54

-49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.55 €5.87

-43.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.38 €2.13

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.98 €1.77

-26.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.69 €2.41

-44.24%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.58 €4.10

-54.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$14.71 €13.18

29.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$15.19 €13.60

-78.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.06 €10.80

-9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.72 €3.33

-21.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.08 €1.86

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.35 €1.21

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.10 €1.88

-0.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.13 €1.01

33.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.10 €0.98

25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.08 €0.97

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.98 €1.78

-73.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.31 €4.76

-20.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.20 €6.45

160.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.76 €1.58

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.64 €2.37

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.93 €1.73

-24.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$49.55 €44.38

14.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.25 €3.81

-28.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.09 €0.98

-6.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$15.49 €13.87

-76.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.99 €1.78

-26.13%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$27.6K €24.8K

-3.12%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.5K €23.7K

0.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$205 €183

-52.94%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$41.59 €37.25

-72.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$30.65 €27.45

-45.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$50.7 €45.38

32.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$25.86 €23.16

-58.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.86 €8.83

-23.94%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$406 €364

17.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$8,882 €7,955

26.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$113 €102

-45.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$40.22 €36.02

-29.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$122 €110

-23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$141 €126

-39.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$392 €352

82.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$383 €343

28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$768 €688

150.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$560 €502

155.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,434 €2,180

71.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,942 €1,739

56.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,307 €1,170

-61.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.48

24.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zakynthos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Zakynthos

$383 22.5% 21.9% $107

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Zakynthos

$338 19.9% 27% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Zakynthos

$277 16.3% 123% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zakynthos

$188 11% 54% $66

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zakynthos

$379 22.3% 212% $257

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Zakynthos

$70 4.1% 14.4% $12

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Zakynthos

$67 3.9% 5.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $392 in Zakynthos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakynthos pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $55 in Zakynthos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $338 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇷 Zakynthos

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

20:41 8:41 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

39,015

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Zakynthos 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zakynthos

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 Zakynthos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $392 in Zakynthos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $406 in Zakynthos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Zakynthos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Zakynthos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zakynthos. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Zakynthos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Zakynthos on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.