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: $2,232 in Zell am see versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,241 in Zell am see versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,250 in Zell am see versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Zell am see is roughly 81% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zell am see is 67% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.44 €9.77

$4.63 ฿151

147.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 €68.3

$46.84 ฿1,523

70.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 €8.72

$8.84 ฿287

15.50%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.65

$3.00 ฿97.4

42.33%

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

$3.62 €3.09

$0.74 ฿24.11

389.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.19

$0.37 ฿11.88

594.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.89

$2.44 ฿79.3

134.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 €4.27

$3.61 ฿117

38.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.37

$2.26 ฿73.5

-29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 €2.97

$1.84 ฿59.8

88.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.24 ฿73.0

4.91%

Eggs

$4.11 €3.51

$2.32 ฿75.3

77.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 €15.46

$19.67 ฿639

-7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.83 €13.52

$3.65 ฿119

333.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.29 €19.89

$13.10 ฿426

77.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$3.39 ฿110

-30.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$1.64 ฿53.4

43.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €2.93

$2.41 ฿78.5

42.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.47

$2.03 ฿66.0

100.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.56 ฿50.6

57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.76

$1.50 ฿48.66

38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.02 ฿33.30

89.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.60

$0.49 ฿15.91

44.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.84

$4.45 ฿145

53.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 €6.38

$18.88 ฿614

-60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.78 ฿57.7

-14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.75 ฿89.5

-35.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.45

$1.40 ฿45.54

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 €52.3

$11.48 ฿373

433.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.56

$3.12 ฿101

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.00 ฿32.48

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.54 €24.37

$14.09 ฿458

102.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.35 ฿43.93

25.93%

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

$28.7K €24.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

5.76%

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

$29.7K €25.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.68%

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

$353 €302

$125 ฿4,063

182.73%

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

$19.64 €16.77

$13.57 ฿441

44.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.70 €33.91

$18.52 ฿602

114.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 €39.62

$61.5 ฿1,999

-24.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 €22.21

$16.84 ฿547

54.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €11.82

$9.19 ฿299

50.60%

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

$466 €398

$698 ฿22.7K

-33.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,521 €3,861

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-71.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 €85.1

$57.8 ฿1,878

72.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 €34.71

$35.24 ฿1,146

15.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €103

$113 ฿3,677

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$86.4 ฿2,808

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 €755

$616 ฿20.0K

43.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 €706

$446 ฿14.5K

85.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 €1,387

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,112

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-12.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,667 €5,693

$3,779 ฿122.8K

76.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,857 €4,148

$2,649 ฿86.1K

83.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Zell am see and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Zell am see vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $292 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 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,348 in Zell am see and $1,847 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: $884 in Zell am see versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Zell am see versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Zell am see. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,232 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 81% less than in Zell am see. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.