Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $579 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zanzibar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $579 in Zanzibar.

Phuket $1,208
Zanzibar $579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $864 in Zanzibar.

Phuket $2,027
Zanzibar $864

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Zanzibar.

Phuket $2,845
Zanzibar $1,148

Living in Phuket is roughly 109% more expensive than in Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Zanzibar 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

-6.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

46.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

56.71%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.20 TZS 5,769

28.64%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.58 TZS 1,520

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.30 TZS 776

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.86 TZS 4,879

37.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.58 TZS 6,764

48.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$2.11 TZS 5,521

-18.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.71 TZS 1,859

107.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.79 TZS 2,058

91.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.71 TZS 7,092

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

159.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.21 TZS 5,776

51.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

90.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.78 TZS 7,271

2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.15 TZS 3,001

47.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.78 TZS 2,050

180.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.55 TZS 1,428

272.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.90 TZS 2,351

61.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.55 TZS 4,063

-10.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.76 TZS 2,003

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.49 TZS 1,274

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.08 TZS 5,445

104.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

94.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.50 TZS 3,921

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.35 TZS 3,536

111.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.31 TZS 825

629.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.69 TZS 9,672

-18.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.73 TZS 1,920

45.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$2.66 TZS 6,964

45.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.21 TZS 3,180

19.83%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

-44.92%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

29.70%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

-2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

-64.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

81.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

-15.66%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

389.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

69.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

533.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

574.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$147 TZS 385.1K

401.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$100 TZS 262.1K

362.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$198 TZS 518.2K

958.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$148 TZS 388.8K

708.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$37.8K TZS 99.1M

-90.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

-78.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$312 TZS 816.7K

60.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zanzibar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Zanzibar

$100 17.3% 78.4% $362

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Zanzibar

$164 28.3% 38.9% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Zanzibar

$134 23.2% 7.6% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Zanzibar

$26 4.5% 79% $98

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Zanzibar

$99 17.1% 18.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Zanzibar

$47 8.2% 30.2% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5% 78.1% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $147 in Zanzibar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 61% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Zanzibar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $164 per month, with Zanzibar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

709,809

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Zanzibar 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zanzibar

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 Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $147 in Zanzibar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zanzibar – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Zanzibar versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zanzibar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zanzibar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.