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 $993 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,463 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,934 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zalaegerszeg 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$11.42 Ft 3,455

-60.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$57.8 Ft 17.5K

-19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.50 Ft 2,571

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.22 Ft 673

36.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.68 Ft 509

-58.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.23 Ft 373

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.82 Ft 551

36.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.91 Ft 577

91.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.03 Ft 313

111.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.43 Ft 432

32.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.15 Ft 650

2.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.13 Ft 946

-29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.71 Ft 2,936

105.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.61 Ft 1,396

-20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.02 Ft 2,122

88.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.48 Ft 446

118.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.90 Ft 575

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.83 Ft 553

30.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.58 Ft 1,085

-41.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.13 Ft 341

40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.26 Ft 382

17.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.17 Ft 355

-11.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.54 Ft 163

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.57 Ft 1,987

-35.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.70 Ft 1,724

229.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.90 Ft 273

95.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.46 Ft 443

89.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.03 Ft 312

32.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$17.18 Ft 5,199

-33.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.18 Ft 963

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.06 Ft 319

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$18.69 Ft 5,654

-26.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.73 Ft 525

-22.54%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.9K Ft 7.8M

6.95%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.6K Ft 9.6M

7.18%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$136 Ft 41.1K

-9.02%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$26.54 Ft 8,031

-49.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$20.47 Ft 6,193

-8.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$37.66 Ft 11.4K

64.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$33.97 Ft 10.3K

-49.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.06 Ft 2,137

29.46%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$201 Ft 60.8K

249.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,382 Ft 1.9M

148.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$28.45 Ft 8,608

109.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$22.94 Ft 6,940

52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$46.75 Ft 14.1K

146.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$52.2 Ft 15.8K

61.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$318 Ft 96.3K

94.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$278 Ft 84.2K

55.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$437 Ft 132.1K

372.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$293 Ft 88.6K

415.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,944 Ft 588.2K

87.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,652 Ft 499.7K

58.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$826 Ft 249.9K

-38.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-23.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $318 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zalaegerszeg pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Zalaegerszeg. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $199, 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. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zalaegerszeg earns 63% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $318 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $201 in Zalaegerszeg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $993 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.