😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,265 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,297 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Antigua Guatemala versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs are close between Antigua Guatemala and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala5% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.12Q 39.04
$4.70฿153
8.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.2Q 405
$45.37฿1,482
17.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.49Q 49.49
$8.43฿275
-23.01%
Cappuccino
$3.40Q 25.90
$2.93฿95.6
16.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22Q 9.31
$0.69฿22.40
76.81%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92Q 6.98
$0.37฿11.99
148.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.87Q 29.46
$2.41฿78.6
60.58%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60Q 35.08
$3.72฿122
23.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.94Q 14.79
$2.23฿72.9
-13.00%
White Bread(500g)
$3.08Q 23.47
$1.83฿59.8
68.31%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.64Q 12.52
$2.17฿70.8
-24.42%
Eggs
$2.55Q 19.45
$2.21฿72.3
15.38%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.65Q 58.3
$19.74฿645
-61.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.47Q 64.6
$3.63฿119
133.33%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.28Q 78.3
$13.53฿442
-24.02%
Apples(1kg)
$3.65Q 27.85
$3.28฿107
11.28%
Banana(1kg)
$1.56Q 11.91
$1.61฿52.6
-3.11%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.08Q 23.47
$2.41฿78.6
27.80%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.65Q 12.59
$2.08฿68.1
-20.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.76Q 13.39
$1.53฿49.93
15.03%
Onion(1kg)
$1.73Q 13.15
$1.48฿48.36
16.89%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.74Q 5.65
$0.99฿32.29
-25.25%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23Q 9.34
$0.51฿16.67
141.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.61Q 27.50
$4.41฿144
-18.14%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.98Q 60.8
$19.38฿633
-58.82%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69Q 12.87
$1.78฿58.1
-5.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42Q 18.48
$2.71฿88.6
-10.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.97Q 15.03
$1.37฿44.79
43.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿372
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.67Q 35.60
$3.02฿98.6
54.64%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$0.99฿32.48
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$15.37Q 117
$14.10฿461
9.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.12Q 8.52
$1.36฿44.51
-17.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.6KQ 149.4K
$28.2K฿921.1K
-30.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1KQ 168.2K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-32.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$48.43Q 369
$122฿3,975
-60.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.09Q 199
$13.57฿443
92.26%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.90Q 373
$18.31฿598
167.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.38Q 308
$60.2฿1,967
-32.95%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.77Q 212
$17.14฿560
62.02%
Cinema Ticket
$7.31Q 55.7
$8.69฿284
-15.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$246Q 1,878
$693฿22.6K
-64.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,834Q 44.5K
$15.7K฿512.3K
-62.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.64Q 355
$59.5฿1,944
-21.65%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.6Q 409
$34.77฿1,136
54.21%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101Q 771
$115฿3,743
-11.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.8Q 639
$83.3฿2,720
0.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$879Q 6,701
$613฿20.0K
43.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$556Q 4,237
$437฿14.3K
27.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,010Q 15.3K
$2,094฿68.4K
-4.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,247Q 9,503
$1,509฿49.3K
-17.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,985Q 22.8K
$3,749฿122.5K
-20.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,222Q 9,312
$2,616฿85.4K
-53.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Antigua Guatemala
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$539Q 4,104
$508฿16.6K
5.99%
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: May 31, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $879 in Antigua Guatemala and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Antigua Guatemala pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.
🛒Dining out: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $293, 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
Which city pays better: Antigua Guatemala or Phuket?
Antigua Guatemala pays 6% more on average, 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 Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $879 in Antigua Guatemala versus $613 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 $246 in Antigua Guatemala versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Antigua Guatemala pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,267 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.
How do I decide between Antigua Guatemala and Phuket?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Antigua Guatemala on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.
Antigua Guatemala vs other spots: cost of living compared