Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria Falls and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria Falls: $907 a month against $1,208 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.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$907

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Victoria Falls and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Victoria Falls and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Victoria Falls versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Victoria Falls $907
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,481 in Victoria Falls versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Victoria Falls $1,481
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,055 in Victoria Falls versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Victoria Falls $2,055
Phuket $2,845

Living in Victoria Falls costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Victoria Falls 33% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.99 ZWL 266

$4.40 ฿147

127.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.68 ZWL 1,189

$32.26 ฿1,078

38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

Cappuccino

$5.95 ZWL 158

$2.83 ฿94.5

110.25%

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

$0.99 ZWL 26.29

$0.90 ฿30.14

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZWL 12.77

$0.47 ฿15.56

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$2.55 ฿85.2

95.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

$1.73 ฿57.7

13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 26.91

$1.47 ฿49.11

-31.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$1.51 ฿50.6

35.76%

Eggs

$3.66 ZWL 97.4

$2.17 ฿72.7

68.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.53 ZWL 67.4

$19.70 ฿658

-87.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 ZWL 160

$3.34 ฿112

79.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 ZWL 217

$11.16 ฿373

-26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

$2.85 ฿95.1

7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 79.0

$1.70 ฿56.9

74.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 ZWL 81.0

$2.19 ฿73.3

38.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 ZWL 104

$2.05 ฿68.4

90.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ZWL 54.7

$1.38 ฿46.16

49.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

$1.07 ฿35.69

82.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZWL 38.74

$0.51 ฿16.91

186.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ZWL 89.9

$4.26 ฿142

-20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.79 ZWL 526

$18.58 ฿621

6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

$2.26 ฿75.6

-10.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ZWL 27.24

$1.06 ฿35.34

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 ZWL 48.55

$1.45 ฿48.45

25.52%

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)

$25.24 ZWL 672

$96.4 ฿3,221

-73.81%

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

$25.29 ZWL 673

$11.04 ฿369

129.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 ZWL 1,841

$17.14 ฿573

303.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ZWL 1,601

$52.2 ฿1,744

15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.74 ZWL 392

$11.16 ฿373

32.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.96 ZWL 531

$7.81 ฿261

155.57%

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

$99.7 ZWL 2,654

$556 ฿18.6K

-82.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,100 ZWL 162.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-47.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.21 ZWL 405

$64.2 ฿2,146

-76.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ZWL 654

$28.69 ฿959

-14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 ZWL 1,619

$95.4 ฿3,187

-36.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.78 ZWL 1,192

$88.0 ฿2,940

-49.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ZWL 6,560

$737 ฿24.6K

-66.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ZWL 4,734

$462 ฿15.5K

-61.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ZWL 13.5K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-75.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ZWL 9,457

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-70.40%

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)

$800 ZWL 21.3K

$501 ฿16.7K

59.82%

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 Victoria Falls: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Groceries & Markets

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Eating Out

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$121 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Getting Around

Victoria Falls

–

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Victoria Falls and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria Falls pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Victoria Falls vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $269, with Victoria Falls cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

5 h ahead of Victoria Falls

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,215

79,308

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

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).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Victoria Falls Phuket 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Victoria Falls
Phuket

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

Victoria Falls vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria Falls is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Victoria Falls, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $247 in Victoria Falls versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99.7 in Victoria Falls versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Victoria Falls – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 in Victoria Falls versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Victoria Falls but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria Falls the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Victoria Falls 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, Victoria Falls and Phuket 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 Victoria Falls gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.