Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,841 in Zagreb versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,690 in Zagreb versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,539 in Zagreb versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Zagreb is roughly 49% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zagreb is 35% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 €12.09

$4.41 ฿147

214.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 €52.3

$32.26 ฿1,073

86.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 €6.85

$8.93 ฿297

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.22

$2.90 ฿96.3

-12.07%

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

$3.16 €2.75

$0.88 ฿29.27

259.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.25

$0.48 ฿16.00

437.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.95

$2.35 ฿78.2

44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.13

$3.72 ฿124

27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.87 ฿62.0

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.47 ฿48.75

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 €2.74

$1.55 ฿51.6

103.23%

Eggs

$4.15 €3.61

$2.10 ฿69.9

97.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 €14.14

$19.59 ฿651

-17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 €10.81

$3.42 ฿114

262.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 €15.48

$11.38 ฿378

56.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.00

$2.98 ฿99.2

-22.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.68 ฿56.0

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.21 ฿73.5

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.42

$2.16 ฿71.9

28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.52 ฿50.7

-3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.34 ฿44.49

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.13 ฿37.53

15.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.55 ฿18.17

141.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.73 €4.99

$4.26 ฿142

34.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.20 €8.02

$19.09 ฿635

-51.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.78 ฿59.2

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.78 ฿92.5

-13.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 €0.54

$2.23 ฿74.1

-72.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 €49.32

$22.74 ฿756

148.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.03 ฿101

-21.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.02 ฿34.02

44.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.41 €9.94

$3.89 ฿129

193.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.49 ฿49.57

26.17%

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

$27.4K €23.9K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

3.09%

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

$27.3K €23.8K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

1.10%

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

$215 €187

$102 ฿3,407

109.83%

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

$22.97 €20.01

$11.33 ฿377

102.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.40 €39.55

$17.40 ฿578

160.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 €47.77

$52.1 ฿1,732

5.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.37 €16.88

$11.07 ฿368

74.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 €8.18

$7.69 ฿256

22.11%

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

$541 €471

$561 ฿18.6K

-3.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,381

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-6.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €95.7

$63.0 ฿2,096

74.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.00 €40.08

$29.52 ฿982

55.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €87.1

$98.0 ฿3,259

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €97.2

$88.5 ฿2,943

26.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 €775

$738 ฿24.5K

20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 €596

$482 ฿16.0K

41.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 €1,252

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €913

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-14.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,191 €4,522

$3,617 ฿120.3K

43.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,555 €3,097

$2,603 ฿86.5K

36.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,015 €1,756

$494 ฿16.4K

308.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

5.57

-41.65%

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

Last update for Zagreb: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Zagreb and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 308% 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: $60.0 in Zagreb vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $274 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

Zagreb 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 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 308% higher in Zagreb, 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: $889 in Zagreb versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $541 in Zagreb versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,841 in Zagreb, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. 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 Zagreb, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zagreb 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 49% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.