Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zaqatala

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaqatala: $350 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Zaqatala

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zaqatala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $350 in Zaqatala.

Phuket $1,278
Zaqatala $350

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $584 in Zaqatala.

Phuket $2,216
Zaqatala $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $819 in Zaqatala.

Phuket $3,154
Zaqatala $819

Living in Phuket is roughly 265% more expensive than in Zaqatala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zaqatala 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.69 ₼7.98

-4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$20.90 ₼35.52

55.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.34 ₼9.07

64.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.28 ₼3.88

24.12%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.61 ₼1.04

42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.51 ₼0.87

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.77 ₼3.01

44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.01 ₼5.11

22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.99 ₼1.68

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.42 ₼0.72

247.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.27 ₼3.86

-33.92%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.39 ₼2.36

50.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$3.62 ₼6.16

426.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.31 ₼3.93

42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.13 ₼13.82

34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.79 ₼1.35

270.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.20 ₼2.04

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.61 ₼1.04

268.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.74 ₼1.25

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.28 ₼0.47

439.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.40 ₼0.68

245.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.96 ₼1.63

11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.57 ₼0.97

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.72 ₼2.92

144.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.92 ₼15.15

110.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.20 ₼2.04

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.09 ₼3.56

35.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.16 ₼0.27

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.66 ₼1.12

122.73%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$34.17 ₼58.1

96.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$118 ₼200

507.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$81.8 ₼139

500.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$232 ₼395

730.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$150 ₼255

854.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zaqatala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Zaqatala

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Zaqatala

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Zaqatala

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zaqatala

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zaqatala

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Zaqatala

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Zaqatala

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $118 in Zaqatala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $21 in Zaqatala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $133 per month, with Zaqatala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇿 Zaqatala

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

3 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

21,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.527 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.9 AZN (1 AZN = 0.527 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Zaqatala 6,300 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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 Zaqatala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaqatala is about 73% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $525 in Zaqatala 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $118 in Zaqatala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaqatala – a meal for two runs $21 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $350 in Zaqatala versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaqatala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zaqatala 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 Zaqatala are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.