Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zatec Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zatec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,271 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,546 in Zatec.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Zatec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zatec 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.89 Kč 146

-33.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.94 Kč 401

143.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.24 Kč 196

-4.33%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.07 Kč 65.1

-0.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.73 Kč 15.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.89 Kč 18.79

-55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.29 Kč 48.44

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.63 Kč 55.7

43.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.82 Kč 17.32

175.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.39 Kč 29.40

30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.13 Kč 45.03

5.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.49 Kč 52.7

-9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.68 Kč 120

243.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.56 Kč 118

-34.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.10 Kč 150

83.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.34 Kč 28.40

141.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.66 Kč 35.14

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.11 Kč 44.68

12.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.99 Kč 84.5

-49.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.90 Kč 19.02

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.32 Kč 27.99

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.59 Kč 33.71

-38.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.53 Kč 11.22

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.97 Kč 127

-25.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.79 Kč 123

216.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.87 Kč 18.38

113.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.79 Kč 37.89

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.32 Kč 6.76

340.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$26.10 Kč 553

-55.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.86 Kč 60.7

8.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.54 Kč 32.73

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$15.33 Kč 325

-7.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.73 Kč 36.70

-24.28%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.6K Kč 584.1K

0.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.7K Kč 629.2K

11.86%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$303 Kč 6,429

-59.64%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$25.01 Kč 530

-45.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$21.07 Kč 447

-11.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$54.0 Kč 1,145

11.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$16.53 Kč 350

2.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.56 Kč 245

-21.54%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$439 Kč 9,293

61.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$14.4K Kč 304.3K

10.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$88.0 Kč 1,864

-33.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$40.37 Kč 856

-12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$47.00 Kč 996

145.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$113 Kč 2,402

-26.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$365 Kč 7,726

71.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$331 Kč 7,005

34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,164 Kč 24.7K

75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$882 Kč 18.7K

69.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,424 Kč 93.7K

-21.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,823 Kč 81.0K

-32.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,155 Kč 24.5K

-56.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.56

-4.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Zatec: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $365 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zatec pays 131% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Zatec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $189 per month, with Zatec 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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 131% lower in Zatec. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $365 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $439 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Zatec pay roughly 53% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,271 in Zatec, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zatec. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zatec, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Zatec 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Zatec. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.