Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zliten

For one person, living is cheaper in Zliten: $362 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Zliten, Libya
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Zliten
🇱🇾 Libya
$362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zliten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $362 in Zliten.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Zliten $362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $550 in Zliten.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Zliten $550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $739 in Zliten.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Zliten $739

Living in Phuket is roughly 254% more expensive than in Zliten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zliten 73% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$3.98 LYD 25.56
12.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$12.37 LYD 79.3
162.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$2.72 LYD 17.45
223.90%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.45 LYD 2.90
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.67 LYD 4.31
-
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$0.40 LYD 2.58
607.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.38 LYD 2.42
128.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.10 LYD 0.66
390.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.82 LYD 5.23
102.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$0.22 LYD 1.41
563.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.79 LYD 5.07
89.87%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.10 LYD 7.06
90.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$5.12 LYD 32.84
272.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.86 LYD 18.35
15.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$8.99 LYD 57.7
21.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.22 LYD 14.25
31.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.48 LYD 9.47
14.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.74 LYD 4.78
204.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$0.56 LYD 3.61
271.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.71 LYD 4.57
112.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.49 LYD 3.11
181.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.43 LYD 2.74
148.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.17 LYD 1.09
205.88%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.77 LYD 11.35
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.95 LYD 6.07
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.85 LYD 5.43
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$1.92 LYD 12.29
118.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.82 LYD 5.25
268.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.48 LYD 3.08
112.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$0.02 LYD 0.13
7250.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$23.3K LYD 149.2K
15.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$21.5K LYD 138.0K
24.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$94.2 LYD 604
2.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$6.21 LYD 39.85
81.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$26.80 LYD 172
-37.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$53.4 LYD 342
791.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$1,535 LYD 9,845
633.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$22.47 LYD 144
177.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$17.43 LYD 112
62.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$64.9 LYD 416
45.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$66.6 LYD 427
28.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Zliten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
0
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zliten: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Zliten
–
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Zliten
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Zliten
–
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Zliten
–
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Zliten
–
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Zliten
–
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Zliten
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $12 in Zliten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $107 per month, with Zliten cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇱🇾 Zliten
🕒 Local time
22:12 10:12 PM
17:12 5:12 PM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
240,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.16 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Zliten 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Zliten

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 Zliten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zliten cheaper than Phuket?
Zliten is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $542 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $53 in Zliten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Zliten?
Dining out is cheaper in Zliten – a meal for two runs $12 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Zliten?
At $362 in Zliten versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Zliten?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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