Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zakynthos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zakynthos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,851 in Zakynthos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,742 in Zakynthos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,632 in Zakynthos.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Zakynthos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Zakynthos is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$28.59 €24.47

-83.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$59.0 €50.5

-20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$11.49 €9.84

-23.06%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.68 €4.00

-35.90%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.96 €1.68

-62.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.56 €0.48

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$4.65 €3.98

-47.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$7.11 €6.09

-49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.39 €2.05

-5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.04 €1.75

-9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.52 €3.01

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.90 €4.20

-52.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$15.25 €13.05

28.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$15.65 €13.40

-76.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.90 €11.04

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.01 €2.58

12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.87 €2.46

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.88 €1.61

28.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.24 €1.92

-9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.41 €1.21

10.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.93 €1.65

-22.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.84 €0.72

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.67 €0.57

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.20 €4.45

-14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.63 €6.53

147.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.47 €1.26

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.09 €2.65

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.77 €1.51

-20.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$34.64 €29.65

-66.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.45 €2.96

-9.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.73 €11.76

2.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.22 €1.90

-39.19%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$17.0K €14.6K

59.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.7K €16.9K

67.12%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$372 €319

-66.41%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$42.55 €36.43

-68.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$51.6 €44.13

-64.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$28.84 €24.69

113.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$26.13 €22.37

-35.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$12.58 €10.77

-26.95%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$416 €356

67.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,039 €5,169

158.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$93.9 €80.3

-38.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$91.4 €78.2

-61.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$128 €109

-11.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$116 €99.2

-25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$408 €349

50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$401 €344

11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$818 €700

150.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$575 €492

159.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,055 €2,615

23.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,584 €2,212

2.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,316 €1,127

-60.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zakynthos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $408 in Zakynthos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakynthos pays 151% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Zakynthos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $340 per month, with Phuket 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 Zakynthos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zakynthos earns 151% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $408 in Zakynthos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $416 in Zakynthos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Zakynthos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,851 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.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Zakynthos 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Zakynthos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.