Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zouk Mikael

For one person, living is cheaper in Zouk Mikael: $981 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Zouk Mikael
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Zouk Mikael Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Zouk Mikael

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$981

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zouk Mikael

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $981 in Zouk Mikael.

Phuket $1,278
Zouk Mikael $981

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,583 in Zouk Mikael.

Phuket $2,216
Zouk Mikael $1,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,185 in Zouk Mikael.

Phuket $3,154
Zouk Mikael $2,185

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Zouk Mikael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zouk Mikael 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.88 LBP 1.1M

-62.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$69.1 LBP 6.2M

-53.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.01 LBP 896.2K

-11.99%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.47 LBP 400.1K

-36.69%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.29 LBP 204.7K

-62.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.86 LBP 76.6K

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$4.97 LBP 444.8K

-48.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.69 LBP 419.5K

-21.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.99 LBP 178.1K

-16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.87 LBP 77.5K

67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.22 LBP 198.8K

-32.43%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.65 LBP 326.9K

-42.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$11.12 LBP 995.1K

71.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.69 LBP 957.0K

-69.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.94 LBP 1.3M

-26.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.09 LBP 276.2K

-5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.72 LBP 153.6K

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 LBP 143.4K

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.46 LBP 130.3K

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.22 LBP 108.8K

23.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.56 LBP 139.6K

-11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

-11.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.68 LBP 60.9K

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.02 LBP 270.4K

39.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.19 LBP 1.0M

67.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.27 LBP 114.1K

43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.51 LBP 224.5K

13.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.89 LBP 437.9K

-38.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.20 LBP 197.3K

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$22.83 LBP 2.0M

-83.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.09 LBP 97.3K

34.86%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$53.6K LBP 4.8B

-50.01%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

-18.19%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$213 LBP 19.1M

-54.82%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.19 LBP 2.1M

-51.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$38.49 LBP 3.4M

-56.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.95 LBP 890.8K

-24.62%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$690 LBP 61.7M

-31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.7K LBP 954.9M

5.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$66.3 LBP 5.9M

-5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$48.34 LBP 4.3M

-41.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$139 LBP 12.4M

-31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$119 LBP 10.7M

-28.06%

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 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zouk Mikael: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Zouk Mikael

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Zouk Mikael

$277 28.2% 3.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Zouk Mikael

$275 28% 121% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zouk Mikael

$168 17.1% 37.5% $46

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zouk Mikael

$226 23% 85.3% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Zouk Mikael

$20 * 2% 75.8% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Zouk Mikael

$16 * 1.6% 77.5% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $69 in Zouk Mikael for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $277 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇧 Zouk Mikael

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

00:58 12:58 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

96,315

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,632 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Zouk Mikael 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zouk Mikael

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 Zouk Mikael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zouk Mikael is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,471 in Zouk Mikael 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.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $690 in Zouk Mikael. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $69 in Zouk Mikael. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.