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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $317 in Zliten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $518 in Zliten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $719 in Zliten.

Living in Phuket is roughly 289% more expensive than Zliten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zliten 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.87 LYD 18.17

61.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.55 LYD 92.3

221.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.51 LYD 15.89

252.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.52 LYD 3.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.46

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.42 LYD 2.65

614.29%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.41 LYD 2.59

80.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.10 LYD 0.63

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.81 LYD 5.14

179.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.21 LYD 1.33

776.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.82 LYD 5.18

173.17%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.29 LYD 8.17

79.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.45 LYD 28.20

342.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.86 LYD 18.11

27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.14 LYD 64.3

29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.08 LYD 6.83

213.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.16 LYD 7.38

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.65 LYD 4.14

270.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.52 LYD 3.30

290.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.64 LYD 4.08

143.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.47 LYD 2.97

219.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.33 LYD 2.12

209.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.22 LYD 1.40

122.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.24 LYD 7.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.27

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 LYD 2.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.78 LYD 11.26

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.17 LYD 1.11

723.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.19 LYD 51.9

40.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.95 LYD 6.01

228.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.91 LYD 5.78

9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.56 LYD 22.59

295.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.03 LYD 0.19

4400.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$13.8K LYD 87.5K

97.04%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$15.3K LYD 97.0K

115.16%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$18.67 LYD 118

569.42%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.58 LYD 35.38

143.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$23.18 LYD 147

-20.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.76 LYD 106

266.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.70 LYD 29.80

95.53%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.07 LYD 229

1835.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$634 LYD 4,017

2360.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$10.82 LYD 68.6

433.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$11.85 LYD 75.2

197.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$42.08 LYD 267

168.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$22.18 LYD 141

289.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$74.5 LYD 472

727.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$50.6 LYD 321

781.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$193 LYD 1,224

960.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$91.9 LYD 583

1523.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zliten: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $74.5 in Zliten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Zliten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $101 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 289% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $475 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: $616 in Phuket versus $74.5 in Zliten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $36.07 in Zliten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $317 in Zliten versus $1,232 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 289% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.