Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $131 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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

$1,208

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zimba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $131 in Zimba.

Phuket $1,208
Zimba $131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $204 in Zimba.

Phuket $2,027
Zimba $204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $278 in Zimba.

Phuket $2,845
Zimba $278

Living in Phuket is roughly 824% more expensive than in Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Zimba 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.93 ZMW 58.3

198.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.46 ZMW 29.04

93.84%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.73 ZMW 14.61

23.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.34 ZMW 6.75

38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$0.77 ZMW 15.31

231.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.03 ZMW 20.40

271.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.02 ZMW 20.19

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.52 ZMW 30.15

-0.66%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.27 ZMW 25.18

70.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$3.56 ZMW 70.8

213.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.79 ZMW 35.54

59.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.52 ZMW 30.19

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.95 ZMW 58.7

-25.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.73 ZMW 14.43

180.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.72 ZMW 14.34

91.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.89 ZMW 17.67

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.52 ZMW 10.32

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$5.87 ZMW 117

216.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.78 ZMW 15.56

128.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$0.97 ZMW 19.32

193.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Zimba: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Zimba

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Zimba

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Zimba 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
Zimba

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 824% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $196 in Zimba 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 185% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $131 in Zimba – a 824% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $131 in Zimba versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zimba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zimba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zimba 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 Zimba 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 Zimba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 824% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.