Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,177 in Zell am see versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,258 in Zell am see versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,338 in Zell am see versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Zell am see is roughly 73% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zell am see is 62% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 €9.92

$4.56 ฿149

152.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.6

$46.63 ฿1,519

73.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 €8.85

$8.47 ฿276

21.37%

Cappuccino

$4.46 €3.84

$3.03 ฿98.6

47.19%

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

$3.61 €3.11

$0.69 ฿22.45

423.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$0.37 ฿11.92

616.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.82

$2.49 ฿81.0

124.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.12

$3.66 ฿119

30.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.18 ฿71.0

-23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 €3.09

$1.90 ฿62.0

88.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.20 ฿71.6

6.82%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.42

$2.22 ฿72.4

78.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.04 €15.54

$19.99 ฿651

-9.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.86 €13.67

$3.66 ฿119

333.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.94 €20.63

$13.25 ฿432

80.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.23 ฿105

-24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.70 ฿55.3

31.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 €2.98

$2.39 ฿78.0

44.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.08 ฿67.7

100.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$1.59 ฿51.8

53.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.48 ฿48.31

35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.03 ฿33.54

84.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$0.52 ฿16.83

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €5.81

$4.25 ฿138

58.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 €7.97

$18.79 ฿612

-50.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.76 ฿57.2

-10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.76 ฿89.8

-38.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.90 €2.50

$1.36 ฿44.32

113.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 €51.7

$11.36 ฿370

427.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.58

$3.14 ฿102

-4.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 €0.75

$1.04 ฿33.74

-16.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.82 €24.83

$13.77 ฿448

109.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.34 ฿43.79

31.34%

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

$29.1K €25.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

5.12%

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

$29.8K €25.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-12.10%

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

$350 €301

$124 ฿4,025

182.90%

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

$19.87 €17.12

$13.52 ฿440

46.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 €34.66

$18.69 ฿609

115.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 €40.42

$61.8 ฿2,013

-24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.10 €22.49

$17.25 ฿562

51.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 €12.14

$9.14 ฿298

54.16%

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

$468 €404

$703 ฿22.9K

-33.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,452 €3,836

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.7

$59.5 ฿1,937

71.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.19 €34.63

$35.07 ฿1,142

14.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$115 ฿3,754

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$84.1 ฿2,737

49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 €755

$619 ฿20.1K

41.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 €701

$433 ฿14.1K

87.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 €1,388

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 €1,106

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-15.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,925 €5,966

$3,646 ฿118.7K

89.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,469 €4,712

$2,626 ฿85.5K

108.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

5.33

-27.02%

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

Last update for Zell am see: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $876 in Zell am see and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Zell am see vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 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

Zell am see vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,266 in Zell am see and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $876 in Zell am see versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $468 in Zell am see 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 37% higher in Zell am see. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,177 in Zell am see, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zell am see. 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 Zell am see, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zell am see 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 73% less than in Zell am see. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.