Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zanjan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
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Zanjan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zanjan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $428 in Zanjan.

Phuket $1,278
Zanjan $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $768 in Zanjan.

Phuket $2,216
Zanjan $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,108 in Zanjan.

Phuket $3,154
Zanjan $1,108

Living in Phuket is roughly 199% more expensive than in Zanjan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zanjan 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.07 $3.07

45.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$13.14 $13.14

146.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.03 $3.03

190.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.92 $0.92

207.61%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.49 $0.49

77.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.18 $1.18

-58.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.70 $0.70

137.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.57 $0.57

156.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.20 $3.20

-53.13%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.23 $1.23

69.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.54 $4.54

320.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.27 $3.27

0.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.09 $9.09

20.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.06 $1.06

176.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.52 $1.52

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.82 $0.82

174.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.45 $0.45

362.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.53 $0.53

184.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.47 $0.47

193.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.40 $0.40

167.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.24 $0.24

116.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.73 $0.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.73 $1.73

142.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.19 $0.19

663.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$9.85 $9.85

475.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.31 $0.31

874.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.31 $0.31

229.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.02 $1.02

261.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.03 $0.03

4800.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$49.9K $49.9K

-46.30%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$46.7K $46.7K

-42.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$13.19 $13.19

630.48%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$1.57 $1.57

617.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$4.00 $4.00

321.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$12.35 $12.35

444.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$12.66 $12.66

-15.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.04 $2.04

267.65%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$106 $106

348.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,544 $2,544

342.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$26.95 $26.95

131.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$37.23 $37.23

-23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$118 $118

-19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$74.3 $74.3

15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$136 $136

427.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$99.0 $99.0

396.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$384 $384

401.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$314 $314

354.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$809 $809

416.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$473 $473

543.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$285 $285

76.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-75.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zanjan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Zanjan

$99 23.1% 79.8% $392

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Zanjan

$115 26.8% 56.9% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Zanjan

$19 4.4% 84.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zanjan

$115 26.9% 5.4% $6.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zanjan

$51 12% 57.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Zanjan

$16 3.8% 80% $66

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Zanjan

$13 2.9% 82.3% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $136 in Zanjan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 76% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $13 in Zanjan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $115 per month, with Zanjan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

386,851

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Zanjan 5,960 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zanjan

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 Zanjan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanjan is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $136 in Zanjan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $106 in Zanjan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $428 in Zanjan versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zanjan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zanjan 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 Zanjan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Zanjan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.