Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zawiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zawiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $426 in Zawiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $654 in Zawiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $881 in Zawiya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 197% more expensive than in Zawiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zawiya 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.30 LYD 14.53

102.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$15.04 LYD 94.9

114.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$2.54 LYD 16.00

241.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.90

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.42 LYD 2.63

590.48%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.42 LYD 2.64

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.09 LYD 0.57

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.91 LYD 5.72

107.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.20 LYD 1.26

605.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.12 LYD 7.05

44.64%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.03 LYD 6.48

117.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.66 LYD 29.43

325.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.32 LYD 20.97

4.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.86 LYD 55.9

28.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.85 LYD 11.70

56.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.24 LYD 7.83

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.71 LYD 4.47

219.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.53 LYD 3.32

301.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.49 LYD 3.09

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.27 LYD 1.70

425.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.30 LYD 1.88

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.18 LYD 1.13

233.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 LYD 4.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 LYD 4.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 LYD 5.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$1.67 LYD 10.55

158.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.77 LYD 4.84

192.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$39.03 LYD 246

-39.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.78 LYD 4.92

297.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.49 LYD 3.11

120.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.40 LYD 15.16

61.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.02 LYD 0.13

7050.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$15.6K LYD 98.8K

77.58%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$14.0K LYD 88.5K

92.40%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$93.3 LYD 589

12.31%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$5.67 LYD 35.81

100.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$12.23 LYD 77.2

43.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$17.20 LYD 109

215.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$3.92 LYD 24.75

191.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.85 LYD 24.32

102.08%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$52.7 LYD 332

994.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$628 LYD 3,966

1743.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$21.22 LYD 134

199.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$17.59 LYD 111

65.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$27.97 LYD 177

244.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$31.76 LYD 200

183.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$91.1 LYD 575

705.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$58.2 LYD 367

761.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$171 LYD 1,082

1139.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$116 LYD 735

975.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$469 LYD 2,960

653.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$38.80 LYD 245

6657.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$255 LYD 1,611

98.82%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $91.1 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 99% 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 $15.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $104 per month, with Zawiya 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 Zawiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zawiya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 99% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $91.1 in Zawiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $52.7 in Zawiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 164% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $426 in Zawiya versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zawiya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zawiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zawiya 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 Zawiya 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 Zawiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.