Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabbar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabbar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Zabbar versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,769 in Zabbar versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Zabbar versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Zabbar is roughly 40% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zabbar is 33% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 €15.13

$4.48 ฿150

289.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.71 €34.39

$45.59 ฿1,521

-12.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 €7.07

$8.76 ฿292

-6.85%

Cappuccino

$2.98 €2.58

$2.97 ฿99.0

0.34%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.69 ฿22.90

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.39 ฿13.04

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 €1.99

$2.53 ฿84.4

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.94

$3.75 ฿125

21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.15 ฿71.6

-44.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.82 ฿60.6

-40.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.18 ฿72.9

-47.71%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.53

$2.25 ฿75.0

81.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 €4.92

$20.00 ฿667

-71.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 €3.91

$3.63 ฿121

24.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 €8.93

$13.56 ฿452

-23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 €3.68

$3.24 ฿108

31.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 €2.77

$1.64 ฿54.6

95.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.80

$2.33 ฿77.8

38.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 €3.14

$2.07 ฿69.1

74.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.55 ฿51.6

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.46 ฿48.54

-11.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.98 ฿32.86

138.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$0.48 ฿16.09

145.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 €5.73

$4.35 ฿145

52.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €6.99

$18.57 ฿620

-56.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.86 ฿61.9

4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.99

$2.65 ฿88.6

-13.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.42 ฿47.28

66.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.34 €13.28

$11.57 ฿386

32.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.97

$3.17 ฿106

80.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.14 €3.59

$1.03 ฿34.41

301.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.11 €29.54

$13.89 ฿463

145.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.34 ฿44.84

17.16%

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

$38.9K €33.7K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

40.11%

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

$38.1K €33.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

14.23%

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

$93.5 €81.0

$123 ฿4,105

-23.98%

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

$28.36 €24.56

$13.77 ฿459

105.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.19 €29.61

$18.33 ฿611

86.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €56.2

$60.7 ฿2,025

6.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 €20.15

$17.16 ฿573

35.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 €9.06

$8.87 ฿296

17.93%

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

$431 €373

$688 ฿22.9K

-37.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,327 €2,015

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-85.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €80.2

$59.3 ฿1,978

56.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 €33.74

$34.69 ฿1,157

12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.1

$115 ฿3,843

-9.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €87.4

$83.8 ฿2,794

20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,066

$621 ฿20.7K

98.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 €765

$446 ฿14.9K

98.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 €2,082

$2,034 ฿67.8K

18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 €1,505

$1,496 ฿49.9K

16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,015 €3,477

$3,455 ฿115.3K

16.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,090 €3,542

$2,531 ฿84.4K

61.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,145 €992

$494 ฿16.5K

131.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.33

-4.69%

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

Last update for Zabbar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in Zabbar and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zabbar pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Zabbar vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $291 per month, with Zabbar 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

Zabbar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Zabbar, 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: $1,231 in Zabbar versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Zabbar versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Zabbar pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,775 in Zabbar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zabbar. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zabbar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zabbar 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Zabbar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.