Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zliten Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zliten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $321 in Zliten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $516 in Zliten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $712 in Zliten.

Living in Phuket is roughly 294% more expensive than in Zliten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Zliten 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.01 LYD 19.18

48.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$14.61 LYD 93.2

212.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.41 LYD 15.38

263.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 LYD 4.61

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$0.42 LYD 2.66

607.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.45 LYD 2.85

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.11 LYD 0.69

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.86 LYD 5.46

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.21 LYD 1.33

766.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.86 LYD 5.47

153.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.24 LYD 7.87

81.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$4.42 LYD 28.17

352.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.85 LYD 18.15

27.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.19 LYD 65.0

33.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.08 LYD 6.91

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.20 LYD 7.68

36.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.63 LYD 4.00

269.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.56 LYD 3.59

269.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.70 LYD 4.45

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.51 LYD 3.24

186.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.33 LYD 2.13

196.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.20 LYD 1.27

140.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.21 LYD 7.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LYD 2.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.84 LYD 11.75

136.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.18 LYD 1.17

688.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.22 LYD 52.4

40.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.88 LYD 5.63

260.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.89 LYD 5.65

15.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.68 LYD 23.46

277.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.03 LYD 0.20

4366.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$14.0K LYD 89.1K

98.79%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$15.8K LYD 100.8K

111.09%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$18.66 LYD 119

559.43%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.35 LYD 34.08

157.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$22.61 LYD 144

-18.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$16.32 LYD 104

271.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.48 LYD 28.54

97.99%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$36.57 LYD 233

1780.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$645 LYD 4,109

2347.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$11.06 LYD 70.5

436.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$11.81 LYD 75.3

193.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$42.03 LYD 268

174.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$22.22 LYD 142

276.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$73.4 LYD 468

745.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$51.0 LYD 325

774.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$194 LYD 1,236

949.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$90.9 LYD 580

1545.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.5

-57.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zliten: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $73.4 in Zliten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Zliten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $102 per month, with Zliten 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 Zliten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zliten is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 294% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $481 in Zliten 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $73.4 in Zliten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $36.57 in Zliten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $321 in Zliten versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zliten but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zliten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zliten 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 Zliten 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 Zliten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 294% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.