Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zaltan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zaltan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $325 in Zaltan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $542 in Zaltan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $758 in Zaltan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 289% more expensive than Zaltan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zaltan 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.52 LYD 28.71

3.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.20 LYD 116

149.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.75 LYD 23.81

124.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 LYD 3.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.26

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$0.51 LYD 3.26

474.51%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.48 LYD 3.07

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.10 LYD 0.63

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.99 LYD 6.30

125.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.21 LYD 1.33

771.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.23 LYD 7.82

76.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.44 LYD 9.15

53.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.79 LYD 30.41

312.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.41 LYD 21.66

6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.40 LYD 66.0

30.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.11 LYD 13.38

55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.34 LYD 8.49

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.82 LYD 5.22

193.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.57 LYD 3.59

264.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.70 LYD 4.45

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.58 LYD 3.66

155.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.38 LYD 2.43

160.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.22 LYD 1.40

131.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 LYD 7.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.81 LYD 11.51

143.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.96 LYD 6.09

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.91 LYD 5.79

8.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.49 LYD 28.52

214.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.03 LYD 0.18

4433.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$14.0K LYD 88.7K

101.80%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.0K LYD 101.8K

105.15%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$32.23 LYD 205

277.60%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.44 LYD 53.6

60.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$23.26 LYD 148

-21.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.67 LYD 29.68

86.08%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$51.6 LYD 327

1245.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$924 LYD 5,869

1597.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$21.74 LYD 138

173.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$35.95 LYD 228

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$49.34 LYD 313

132.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$55.9 LYD 355

49.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

17.5

-69.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zaltan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Zaltan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $117 per month, with Zaltan 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 Zaltan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaltan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 289% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $488 in Zaltan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $51.6 in Zaltan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaltan – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $325 in Zaltan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zaltan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zaltan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zaltan 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 Zaltan 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 Zaltan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 289% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.