Cost of Living Comparison Between Zadar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zadar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Zadar versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Zadar versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,531 in Zadar versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Zadar is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zadar is 26% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 €13.08

$4.43 ฿145

245.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 €70.4

$35.07 ฿1,151

134.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 €7.46

$8.96 ฿294

-2.68%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.18

$3.00 ฿98.4

-15.00%

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

$3.04 €2.60

$0.77 ฿25.33

294.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.89

$0.47 ฿15.44

368.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.90

$2.40 ฿78.6

41.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.66

$3.75 ฿123

14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.82 ฿59.8

-34.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.42 ฿46.65

11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.80

$1.55 ฿50.8

111.61%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.50

$2.13 ฿69.9

92.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 €9.74

$19.76 ฿648

-42.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.80 €9.23

$3.48 ฿114

210.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 €10.55

$11.09 ฿364

11.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.91 ฿95.5

-32.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.66 ฿54.6

-5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$2.27 ฿74.5

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.10 ฿68.8

27.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$1.47 ฿48.24

46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.21

$1.41 ฿46.29

0.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.09 ฿35.78

25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.54 ฿17.58

129.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 €5.08

$4.48 ฿147

32.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 €6.58

$18.72 ฿614

-58.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.84 ฿60.4

-20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.95 ฿96.7

-48.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.26 ฿74.1

-15.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.82 €39.20

$23.07 ฿757

98.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 €2.95

$3.04 ฿99.9

13.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.02

$1.09 ฿35.82

116.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.33 €19.96

$3.82 ฿125

510.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.49 ฿48.79

22.15%

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

$26.8K €23.0K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-2.19%

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

$26.0K €22.3K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-5.33%

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

$189 €162

$102 ฿3,340

86.07%

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

$23.09 €19.75

$11.28 ฿370

104.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.49 €35.49

$17.75 ฿582

133.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 €48.59

$54.2 ฿1,777

4.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 €15.11

$10.96 ฿360

61.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 €9.60

$7.85 ฿258

42.93%

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

$251 €214

$577 ฿18.9K

-56.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,036 €6,019

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-39.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €79.1

$65.4 ฿2,144

41.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 €32.61

$28.89 ฿948

31.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$99.1 ฿3,250

8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 €69.8

$90.3 ฿2,961

-9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 €786

$756 ฿24.8K

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €602

$487 ฿16.0K

44.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 €1,296

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,028

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,632 €3,962

$3,591 ฿117.8K

29.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,144 €3,545

$2,610 ฿85.6K

58.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,433 €1,226

$502 ฿16.5K

185.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

5.57

-36.45%

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

Last update for Zadar: August 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $919 in Zadar and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zadar pays 185% 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: $82.0 in Zadar vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $272 per month, with Phuket 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

Zadar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 185% higher in Zadar, 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: $919 in Zadar versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Zadar versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Zadar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,731 in Zadar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zadar. 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 Zadar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zadar 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 37% less than in Zadar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.