Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zenica Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zenica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $884 in Zenica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Zenica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Zenica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than Zenica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zenica 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.87 BAM 11.54

-31.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.70 BAM 31.42

142.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.20 BAM 7.05

100.71%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.59 BAM 2.68

84.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.79 BAM 3.01

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.20 BAM 2.01

-69.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.03 BAM 3.41

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.02 BAM 3.39

84.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.22 BAM 2.04

82.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.85 BAM 1.43

115.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.72 BAM 2.89

26.16%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.68 BAM 4.50

-17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.66 BAM 12.88

157.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.32 BAM 12.29

-50.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.96 BAM 21.78

4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.41 BAM 2.37

132.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.64 BAM 2.76

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.54 BAM 2.59

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.84 BAM 3.09

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.04 BAM 1.74

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.25 BAM 2.11

18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.57 BAM 0.97

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.71 BAM 1.20

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.60 BAM 6.05

22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.24 BAM 7.12

357.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.84 BAM 1.42

111.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.00 BAM 1.68

171.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.85 BAM 1.44

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$32.08 BAM 53.9

-64.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.59 BAM 2.66

89.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.84 BAM 1.41

17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.99 BAM 15.10

56.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.45 BAM 2.43

-6.21%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$23.8K BAM 40.0K

18.59%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.2K BAM 44.0K

25.63%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$168 BAM 283

-27.71%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$19.17 BAM 32.20

-29.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$24.40 BAM 40.99

-24.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$24.13 BAM 40.54

149.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.50 BAM 24.36

18.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.63 BAM 7.78

87.69%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$149 BAM 251

364.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,286 BAM 5,521

377.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$51.1 BAM 85.8

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.99 BAM 52.1

12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$94.6 BAM 159

21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$92.2 BAM 155

-9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$195 BAM 327

214.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$145 BAM 244

200.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$280 BAM 470

648.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$206 BAM 346

633.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,631 BAM 2,741

129.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,337 BAM 2,246

95.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$732 BAM 1,231

-30.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

77.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zenica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $195 in Zenica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zenica pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Zenica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Zenica 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 Zenica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zenica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zenica earns 44% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $195 in Zenica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $149 in Zenica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $884 in Zenica versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zenica but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zenica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zenica 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 Zenica 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 Zenica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.