Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zalaegerszeg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zalaegerszeg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,137 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,256 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zalaegerszeg 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$14.45 Ft 4,506

-69.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$63.1 Ft 19.7K

-44.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$9.38 Ft 2,924

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.95 Ft 919

1.69%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$2.03 Ft 633

-62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.31 Ft 409

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.13 Ft 663

12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.18 Ft 680

72.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.26 Ft 394

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.48 Ft 461

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.53 Ft 790

-38.74%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.54 Ft 1,103

-39.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$12.48 Ft 3,891

58.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.30 Ft 1,963

-44.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$13.05 Ft 4,070

-15.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.92 Ft 599

51.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$2.20 Ft 685

-24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.12 Ft 659

7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$3.78 Ft 1,177

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.03 Ft 323

42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.15 Ft 359

22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.44 Ft 450

-24.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.61 Ft 190

-11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$8.39 Ft 2,616

-46.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$6.25 Ft 1,950

199.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.14 Ft 354

61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.21 Ft 689

33.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.20 Ft 373

88.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$19.26 Ft 6,006

19.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.57 Ft 1,113

-14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$1.30 Ft 405

-16.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$21.30 Ft 6,640

-82.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.95 Ft 607

-23.59%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$30.0K Ft 9.4M

-8.54%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$35.4K Ft 11.0M

-22.20%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$151 Ft 47.1K

-32.67%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$25.13 Ft 7,835

-55.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$24.89 Ft 7,760

-28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$40.97 Ft 12.8K

32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$38.81 Ft 12.1K

-71.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.59 Ft 2,366

3.43%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$222 Ft 69.2K

159.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$17.2K Ft 5.4M

-32.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$32.30 Ft 10.1K

102.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$25.51 Ft 7,954

13.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$52.7 Ft 16.4K

87.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$57.0 Ft 17.8K

58.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$354 Ft 110.4K

113.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$297 Ft 92.5K

64.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$475 Ft 148.2K

338.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$314 Ft 97.8K

284.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,940 Ft 604.7K

85.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,614 Ft 503.2K

61.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$802 Ft 250.1K

-37.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.74

-17.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $354 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zalaegerszeg pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $63.0 in Zalaegerszeg. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $251, with Zalaegerszeg cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zalaegerszeg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalaegerszeg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Zalaegerszeg. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $354 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $222 in Zalaegerszeg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,137 in Zalaegerszeg versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zalaegerszeg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zalaegerszeg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.