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: $1,807 in Zabbar versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,845 in Zabbar versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,882 in Zabbar versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Zabbar is roughly 43% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zabbar is 34% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.24

$4.56 ฿149

287.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.99 €34.45

$46.63 ฿1,519

-14.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 €7.04

$8.47 ฿276

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.50

$3.03 ฿98.6

-4.29%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$0.69 ฿22.45

242.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.37 ฿11.92

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.49 ฿81.0

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.01

$3.66 ฿119

27.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.18 ฿71.0

-42.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.90 ฿62.0

-42.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.20 ฿71.6

-48.18%

Eggs

$4.21 €3.62

$2.22 ฿72.4

89.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 €5.10

$19.99 ฿651

-70.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.66 ฿119

25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 €8.90

$13.25 ฿432

-22.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 €3.86

$3.23 ฿105

39.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.70 ฿55.3

85.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 €2.86

$2.39 ฿78.0

38.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 €3.30

$2.08 ฿67.7

84.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.59 ฿51.8

59.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.48 ฿48.31

-8.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.03 ฿33.54

118.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.52 ฿16.83

128.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 €5.71

$4.25 ฿138

55.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 €7.04

$18.79 ฿612

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.76 ฿57.2

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.76 ฿89.8

-14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.36 ฿44.32

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 €13.50

$11.36 ฿370

37.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 €5.11

$3.14 ฿102

88.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.12 €3.55

$1.04 ฿33.74

296.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.38 €30.48

$13.77 ฿448

156.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.34 ฿43.79

18.66%

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

$39.2K €33.8K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

41.68%

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

$38.0K €32.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

12.33%

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

$94.0 €81.0

$124 ฿4,025

-23.96%

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

$27.91 €24.04

$13.52 ฿440

106.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.14 €30.28

$18.69 ฿609

88.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 €54.6

$61.8 ฿2,013

2.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.98 €19.80

$17.25 ฿562

33.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €8.91

$9.14 ฿298

13.13%

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

$431 €371

$703 ฿22.9K

-38.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,342 €2,018

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-85.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €79.5

$59.5 ฿1,937

55.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 €33.65

$35.07 ฿1,142

11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.5

$115 ฿3,754

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €86.2

$84.1 ฿2,737

19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 €1,084

$619 ฿20.1K

103.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 €750

$433 ฿14.1K

101.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 €2,062

$2,062 ฿67.2K

16.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,481

$1,511 ฿49.2K

13.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,003 €3,449

$3,646 ฿118.7K

9.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,184 €3,605

$2,626 ฿85.5K

59.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 €1,008

$507 ฿16.5K

130.82%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,258 in Zabbar and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zabbar pays 131% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $293 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zabbar pays 131% more on average, 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: $1,258 in Zabbar versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Zabbar versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Zabbar pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,807 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 43% less than in Zabbar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.