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 $410 in Zawiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $688 in Zawiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $965 in Zawiya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 208% more expensive than Zawiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.80 LYD 17.78

67.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$18.48 LYD 118

145.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.63 LYD 23.10

132.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.30

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$0.49 LYD 3.10

497.96%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.49 LYD 3.12

40.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.12 LYD 0.75

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.03 LYD 6.55

116.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.23 LYD 1.46

695.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.24 LYD 7.86

75.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.23 LYD 7.85

79.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.02 LYD 31.94

293.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.27 LYD 20.81

11.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.09 LYD 64.2

34.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.06 LYD 13.11

59.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.27 LYD 8.09

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.83 LYD 5.25

190.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.55 LYD 3.52

278.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.58 LYD 3.66

163.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.31 LYD 1.97

377.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.38 LYD 2.43

160.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.17 LYD 1.07

200.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.84 LYD 11.73

139.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.93 LYD 5.92

47.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$46.59 LYD 296

-75.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.96 LYD 6.11

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.89 LYD 5.67

11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.74 LYD 17.42

414.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.03 LYD 0.18

4433.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$13.7K LYD 87.4K

105.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.2K LYD 103.1K

103.03%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$32.55 LYD 207

273.89%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$6.52 LYD 41.44

108.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$14.02 LYD 89.2

30.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$20.08 LYD 128

199.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.48 LYD 28.49

282.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.55 LYD 28.93

90.99%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$53.1 LYD 337

1206.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$908 LYD 5,772

1628.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$21.60 LYD 137

175.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$34.94 LYD 222

-0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$31.97 LYD 203

258.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$36.00 LYD 229

131.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$107 LYD 679

473.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$69.1 LYD 440

532.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$201 LYD 1,280

940.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$136 LYD 863

1011.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$470 LYD 2,988

697.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$38.66 LYD 246

6665.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$260 LYD 1,653

95.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

17.5

-69.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $107 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 96% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $114 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 208% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 96% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $107 in Zawiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $53.1 in Zawiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $410 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 208% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.