Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,085 in Belize City versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,646 in Belize City versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,206 in Belize City versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Belize City costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belize City 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 BZD 12.39

$4.70 ฿153

31.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.07 BZD 78.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

-13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 BZD 11.66

$8.43 ฿275

-30.84%

Cappuccino

$3.58 BZD 7.15

$2.93 ฿95.6

22.18%

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

$1.35 BZD 2.71

$0.69 ฿22.40

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 BZD 2.59

$0.37 ฿11.99

248.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 BZD 4.46

$2.41 ฿78.6

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 BZD 7.20

$3.72 ฿122

-3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 BZD 6.37

$2.23 ฿72.9

42.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BZD 2.49

$1.83 ฿59.8

-32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 BZD 4.36

$2.17 ฿70.8

0.46%

Eggs

$2.42 BZD 4.85

$2.21 ฿72.3

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 BZD 14.21

$19.74 ฿645

-63.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 BZD 13.30

$3.63 ฿119

83.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 BZD 11.19

$13.53 ฿442

-58.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 BZD 7.83

$3.28 ฿107

19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$1.61 ฿52.6

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 BZD 4.21

$2.41 ฿78.6

-12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 BZD 6.04

$2.08 ฿68.1

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 BZD 5.74

$1.53 ฿49.93

87.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 BZD 4.74

$1.48 ฿48.36

60.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 BZD 4.51

$0.99 ฿32.29

128.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 BZD 1.89

$0.51 ฿16.67

84.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 BZD 7.73

$4.41 ฿144

-12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 BZD 22.18

$19.38 ฿633

-42.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 BZD 3.62

$1.78 ฿58.1

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 BZD 6.60

$2.71 ฿88.6

21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 BZD 4.06

$1.37 ฿44.79

48.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 BZD 39.46

$11.39 ฿372

73.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 BZD 7.88

$3.02 ฿98.6

30.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.08 BZD 8.16

$0.99 ฿32.48

312.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 BZD 3.76

$1.36 ฿44.51

38.24%

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

$10.4K BZD 20.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-63.25%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$206 BZD 412

$122 ฿3,975

69.34%

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

$50.2 BZD 100

$13.57 ฿443

269.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 BZD 110

$18.31 ฿598

201.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 BZD 56.4

$60.2 ฿1,967

-53.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.45 BZD 4.90

$17.14 ฿560

-85.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 BZD 16.40

$8.69 ฿284

-5.64%

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

$65.5 BZD 131

$693 ฿22.6K

-90.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$677 BZD 1,355

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-95.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.00 BZD 74.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

-37.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.92 BZD 53.8

$34.77 ฿1,136

-22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 BZD 162

$115 ฿3,743

-29.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 BZD 177

$83.3 ฿2,720

6.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 BZD 553

$613 ฿20.0K

-54.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 BZD 365

$437 ฿14.3K

-58.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 BZD 1,239

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-70.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 BZD 691

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-77.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$202 BZD 405

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-94.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,204 BZD 2,409

$508 ฿16.6K

137.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.83

5.33

159.47%

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

Last update for Belize City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Belize City and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 137% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Belize City vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $293 per month, with Belize City 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

Belize City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Belize City pays 137% more on average, 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: $277 in Belize City versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Belize City – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,085 in Belize City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belize City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Belize City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Belize City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,085 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Belize City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Belize City 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 Belize City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.