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: $1,681 in Zadar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,598 in Zadar versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,515 in Zadar versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Zadar is roughly 36% more expensive than 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

$16.23 €13.86

$4.63 ฿151

250.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 €70.0

$46.84 ฿1,523

74.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 €7.12

$8.84 ฿287

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$2.52 €2.15

$3.00 ฿97.4

-16.00%

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

$3.11 €2.65

$0.74 ฿24.11

320.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.76

$0.37 ฿11.88

459.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.90

$2.44 ฿79.3

39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.20

$3.61 ฿117

3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.97

$2.26 ฿73.5

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.84 ฿59.8

-25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.24 ฿73.0

35.27%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.62

$2.32 ฿75.3

82.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 €8.83

$19.67 ฿639

-47.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 €9.95

$3.65 ฿119

219.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 €9.41

$13.10 ฿426

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$3.39 ฿110

-52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.64 ฿53.4

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.41 ฿78.5

-10.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.03 ฿66.0

25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.56 ฿50.6

-4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.50 ฿48.66

-4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 €0.76

$1.02 ฿33.30

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.49 ฿15.91

140.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.58

$4.45 ฿145

20.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.13

$18.88 ฿614

-61.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.78 ฿57.7

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.20

$2.75 ฿89.5

-48.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.40 ฿45.54

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.31 €38.70

$11.48 ฿373

294.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 €2.57

$3.12 ฿101

-3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.00 ฿32.48

2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 €7.86

$14.09 ฿458

-34.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.35 ฿43.93

31.85%

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

$37.4K €32.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

37.71%

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

$26.6K €22.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.12%

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

$190 €162

$125 ฿4,063

51.88%

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

$23.38 €19.96

$13.57 ฿441

72.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 €25.43

$18.52 ฿602

60.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.42 €35.37

$61.5 ฿1,999

-32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 €15.08

$16.84 ฿547

4.87%

Cinema Ticket

$16.34 €13.95

$9.19 ฿299

77.80%

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

$253 €216

$698 ฿22.7K

-63.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,392 €1,189

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-91.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$57.8 ฿1,878

82.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.13 €32.56

$35.24 ฿1,146

8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 €117

$113 ฿3,677

20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.4

$86.4 ฿2,808

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 €596

$616 ฿20.0K

13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 €535

$446 ฿14.5K

40.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,095

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-37.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €938

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-26.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,794 €4,094

$3,779 ฿122.8K

26.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,015 €3,429

$2,649 ฿86.1K

51.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,449 €1,237

$524 ฿17.0K

176.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.7

5.33

-11.82%

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

Last update for Zadar: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Zadar and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zadar pays 177% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $292, with Zadar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zadar pays 177% 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: $697 in Zadar versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Zadar versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Zadar pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,681 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 36% less than in Zadar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.