Cost of Living Comparison Between Zenica and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zenica and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $896 in Zenica versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,301 in Zenica versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,707 in Zenica versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Zenica costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zenica 35% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 BAM 12.30

$4.56 ฿151

59.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 BAM 31.70

$32.62 ฿1,082

-42.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 BAM 6.98

$8.90 ฿295

-53.48%

Cappuccino

$1.65 BAM 2.79

$2.80 ฿93.0

-41.07%

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

$1.73 BAM 2.92

$0.88 ฿29.19

96.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BAM 2.14

$0.49 ฿16.23

159.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 BAM 3.46

$2.39 ฿79.2

-14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 BAM 3.53

$3.71 ฿123

-43.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 BAM 2.18

$1.79 ฿59.3

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 BAM 1.49

$1.44 ฿47.81

-38.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 BAM 2.96

$1.58 ฿52.6

10.76%

Eggs

$2.82 BAM 4.76

$2.13 ฿70.5

32.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 BAM 13.04

$19.92 ฿661

-61.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 BAM 12.30

$3.43 ฿114

112.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 BAM 21.39

$11.33 ฿376

11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 BAM 2.30

$2.95 ฿97.8

-53.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BAM 2.78

$1.72 ฿57.1

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 BAM 2.63

$2.32 ฿77.1

-32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 BAM 3.26

$2.08 ฿69.0

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BAM 1.72

$1.47 ฿48.77

-30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 BAM 2.23

$1.36 ฿45.05

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 BAM 0.96

$1.10 ฿36.45

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 BAM 1.22

$0.57 ฿19.06

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 BAM 6.05

$4.27 ฿142

-15.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 BAM 9.77

$18.42 ฿611

-68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BAM 1.54

$1.87 ฿62.1

-51.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 BAM 1.72

$2.92 ฿96.9

-65.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BAM 1.52

$2.22 ฿73.6

-59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.99 BAM 55.6

$22.90 ฿759

44.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 BAM 2.70

$3.03 ฿101

-47.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BAM 1.43

$1.07 ฿35.63

-20.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.15 BAM 15.44

$3.93 ฿130

132.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 BAM 2.59

$1.49 ฿49.49

2.68%

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

$32.2K BAM 54.4K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

18.81%

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

$22.5K BAM 38.0K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-17.97%

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

$169 BAM 286

$103 ฿3,410

64.78%

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

$19.04 BAM 32.11

$10.99 ฿365

73.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.26 BAM 40.91

$17.51 ฿581

38.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.64 BAM 41.56

$53.5 ฿1,776

-53.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 BAM 25.30

$11.20 ฿371

33.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 BAM 7.79

$7.48 ฿248

-38.24%

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

$151 BAM 255

$557 ฿18.5K

-72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,963 BAM 6,683

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-66.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 BAM 87.2

$64.1 ฿2,125

-19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.04 BAM 54.0

$29.07 ฿964

10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 BAM 157

$96.0 ฿3,183

-2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 BAM 151

$90.3 ฿2,997

-1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 BAM 328

$730 ฿24.2K

-73.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 BAM 248

$500 ฿16.6K

-70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 BAM 462

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-86.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 BAM 353

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-82.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,625 BAM 2,741

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-54.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,335 BAM 2,251

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-46.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 BAM 1,135

$503 ฿16.7K

33.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Zenica: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Zenica and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zenica pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Zenica vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $273 per month, with Zenica 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

Zenica vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zenica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Zenica, 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: $195 in Zenica versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $151 in Zenica versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $896 in Zenica versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zenica but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zenica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zenica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zenica 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 Zenica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.