Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Žalec

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,661 in Žalec, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Žalec
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Žalec Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Žalec

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Žalec

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,661 in Žalec.

Phuket $1,294
Žalec $1,661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,396 in Žalec.

Phuket $2,204
Žalec $2,396

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $3,131 in Žalec.

Phuket $3,115
Žalec $3,131

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Žalec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Žalec is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$9.99 €8.89

-56.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$40.94 €36.44

-21.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$7.91 €7.04

9.99%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$1.95 €1.74

39.49%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$3.27 €2.91

-71.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$1.64 €1.46

-69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$3.78 €3.37

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.88 €3.45

-6.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.33 €1.18

30.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$2.20 €1.96

-34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.76 €1.57

-14.77%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.90 €3.47

-44.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$9.44 €8.40

102.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.49 €8.45

-64.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$14.70 €13.08

-25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$1.93 €1.72

52.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.66 €1.47

1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$1.95 €1.73

12.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$2.85 €2.54

-25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.04 €0.92

40.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$0.83 €0.73

65.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$1.42 €1.26

-23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.77 €0.68

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$5.88 €5.23

-24.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$6.70 €5.96

172.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.44 €1.28

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$1.82 €1.62

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$1.40 €1.25

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$34.00 €30.26

61.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$1.92 €1.71

-21.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$1.29 €1.15

-39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$20.22 €18.00

-81.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.63 €1.45

-8.59%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$29.1K €25.9K

-7.63%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$23.8K €21.2K

10.75%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$280 €249

-65.08%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$16.43 €14.62

-31.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$28.11 €25.02

-38.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$63.8 €56.8

7.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$10.23 €9.11

-27.37%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$630 €560

-15.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$12.1K €10.8K

55.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$91.7 €81.6

-32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$36.75 €32.71

-23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$110 €97.8

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$124 €110

-30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$716 €637

0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$604 €538

-15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$1,132 €1,008

72.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$995 €886

40.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$3,246 €2,888

29.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$3,078 €2,739

7.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$1,509 €1,343

-67.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.52

58.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Žalec: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Žalec

$604 36.4% 18.7% $95

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Žalec

$263 15.9% 1.4% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Žalec

$325 19.6% 157% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Žalec

$163 9.8% 32.9% $40

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Žalec

$173 10.4% 45% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Žalec

$84 5.1% 1.3% $1.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Žalec

$48 2.9% 27.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $716 in Žalec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Žalec pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $41 in Žalec. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $263, with Žalec cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇮 Žalec

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

06:25 6:25 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Žalec 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Žalec

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 Žalec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $716 in Žalec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $630 in Žalec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $41 in Žalec. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,661 in Žalec, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Žalec. 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 Žalec are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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