😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,250 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,284 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala versus $3,317 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Antigua Guatemala is roughly 2% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala4% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.19Q 39.54
$4.55฿153
14.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.3Q 406
$46.18฿1,554
15.33%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.35Q 48.41
$8.84฿298
-28.17%
Cappuccino
$3.42Q 26.05
$3.06฿103
11.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19Q 9.07
$0.73฿24.42
63.01%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97Q 7.39
$0.40฿13.40
142.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.92Q 29.89
$2.43฿81.8
61.32%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.69Q 35.72
$3.78฿127
24.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.91Q 14.54
$2.26฿76.0
-15.49%
White Bread(500g)
$3.18Q 24.20
$1.81฿60.9
75.69%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.59Q 12.09
$2.25฿75.8
-29.33%
Eggs
$2.53Q 19.31
$2.25฿75.6
12.44%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.46Q 56.9
$19.51฿656
-61.76%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.45Q 64.4
$3.65฿123
131.51%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.18Q 77.6
$13.05฿439
-21.99%
Apples(1kg)
$3.65Q 27.81
$3.23฿109
13.00%
Banana(1kg)
$1.52Q 11.56
$1.62฿54.4
-6.17%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.15Q 24.02
$2.38฿80.2
32.35%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.59Q 12.11
$2.03฿68.2
-21.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.75Q 13.34
$1.53฿51.6
14.38%
Onion(1kg)
$1.77Q 13.47
$1.50฿50.5
18.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.73Q 5.59
$0.98฿32.93
-25.51%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20Q 9.15
$0.52฿17.40
130.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.56Q 27.15
$4.44฿149
-19.82%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.07Q 61.5
$18.32฿616
-55.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67Q 12.77
$1.86฿62.7
-10.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51Q 19.16
$2.68฿90.2
-6.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.05Q 15.61
$1.41฿47.49
45.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.70฿394
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.71Q 35.93
$3.11฿105
51.45%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$1.04฿35.08
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$15.77Q 120
$14.11฿475
11.76%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.11Q 8.49
$1.31฿44.13
-15.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4KQ 148.1K
$27.8K฿936.0K
-30.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.5KQ 171.5K
$33.2K฿1.1M
-32.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$49.84Q 380
$122฿4,120
-59.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.09Q 199
$13.59฿457
91.98%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.09Q 374
$18.70฿629
162.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.22Q 307
$60.5฿2,035
-33.51%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.79Q 212
$16.98฿572
63.66%
Cinema Ticket
$7.24Q 55.2
$9.07฿305
-20.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$249Q 1,894
$706฿23.8K
-64.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,856Q 44.6K
$15.8K฿531.8K
-62.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.36Q 361
$58.6฿1,970
-19.11%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.0Q 412
$35.36฿1,190
52.69%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$100Q 764
$115฿3,885
-13.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.9Q 655
$83.7฿2,818
2.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$880Q 6,705
$626฿21.1K
40.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$551Q 4,199
$445฿15.0K
23.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,034Q 15.5K
$2,040฿68.7K
-0.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,260Q 9,607
$1,492฿50.2K
-15.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,046Q 23.2K
$3,483฿117.2K
-12.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,205Q 9,189
$2,577฿86.7K
-53.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$544Q 4,144
$500฿16.8K
8.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.5
5.33
59.47%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Antigua Guatemala and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Antigua Guatemala pays 9% 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: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $289, with Antigua Guatemala cheaper for home cooking.
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
Antigua Guatemala vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Antigua Guatemala and in Phuket?
Antigua Guatemala and Phuket differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,281 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Antigua Guatemala or Phuket?
Average pay runs 9% higher in Antigua Guatemala, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Antigua Guatemala and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $880 in Antigua Guatemala versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Antigua Guatemala and Phuket?
Childcare runs $249 in Antigua Guatemala versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Antigua Guatemala and Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Antigua Guatemala or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Antigua Guatemala 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.
Where should expats move: Antigua Guatemala or Phuket?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Antigua Guatemala vs other spots: cost of living compared