Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakynthos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakynthos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,912 in Zakynthos versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,771 in Zakynthos versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,629 in Zakynthos versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Zakynthos is roughly 52% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zakynthos is 42% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.34 €25.28

$4.56 ฿149

543.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 €49.98

$46.63 ฿1,519

24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €9.78

$8.47 ฿276

34.00%

Cappuccino

$4.72 €4.07

$3.03 ฿98.6

55.78%

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

$2.04 €1.76

$0.69 ฿22.45

195.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.37 ฿11.92

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.89

$2.49 ฿81.0

81.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 €6.05

$3.66 ฿119

91.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 €2.15

$2.18 ฿71.0

14.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.90 ฿62.0

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$2.20 ฿71.6

54.55%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.21

$2.22 ฿72.4

120.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.15

$19.99 ฿651

-23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 €13.20

$3.66 ฿119

318.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 €10.79

$13.25 ฿432

-5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$3.23 ฿105

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 €2.44

$1.70 ฿55.3

66.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.39 ฿78.0

-22.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.08 ฿67.7

8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.59 ฿51.8

-10.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.48 ฿48.31

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 €0.66

$1.03 ฿33.54

-25.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.52 ฿16.83

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.24 €4.52

$4.25 ฿138

23.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €5.93

$18.79 ฿612

-63.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.76 ฿57.2

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.79

$2.76 ฿89.8

17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.36 ฿44.32

30.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 €29.61

$11.36 ฿370

202.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €2.95

$3.14 ฿102

8.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 €11.88

$13.77 ฿448

0.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.34 ฿43.79

64.93%

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

$17.4K €15.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-37.01%

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

$19.6K €16.9K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-42.23%

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

$383 €330

$124 ฿4,025

210.15%

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

$43.47 €37.46

$13.52 ฿440

221.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 €43.46

$18.69 ฿609

169.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 €25.58

$61.8 ฿2,013

-51.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.14 €22.52

$17.25 ฿562

51.54%

Cinema Ticket

$12.50 €10.77

$9.14 ฿298

36.76%

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

$426 €367

$703 ฿22.9K

-39.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,911 €5,093

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-62.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €80.3

$59.5 ฿1,937

56.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.3 €79.6

$35.07 ฿1,142

163.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 €110

$115 ฿3,754

10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.0

$84.1 ฿2,737

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 €350

$619 ฿20.1K

-34.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 €353

$433 ฿14.1K

-5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 €691

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-61.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €506

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-61.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,022 €2,604

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-17.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,483 €2,140

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-5.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,274 €1,098

$507 ฿16.5K

151.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.57%

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

Last update for Zakynthos: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Zakynthos and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakynthos pays 151% 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: $58.0 in Zakynthos vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $293 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

Zakynthos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zakynthos pays 151% 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: $406 in Zakynthos versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $426 in Zakynthos versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Zakynthos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,912 in Zakynthos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zakynthos. 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 Zakynthos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zakynthos 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 52% less than in Zakynthos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.