🙂A single person spends $741 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,217 per month in Chimaltenango vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $1,693 per month in Chimaltenango vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂Chimaltenango is about 41% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.
📊Both Chimaltenango and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Chimaltenango45% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.35Q 40.77
$4.55฿153
17.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.23Q 375
$46.18฿1,554
6.60%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.50Q 49.57
$8.84฿298
-26.47%
Cappuccino
$3.27Q 24.91
$3.06฿103
6.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18Q 8.96
$0.73฿24.42
61.64%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97Q 7.42
$0.40฿13.40
142.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.29Q 25.09
$2.43฿81.8
35.39%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54Q 34.64
$3.78฿127
20.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.05Q 15.66
$2.26฿76.0
-9.29%
White Bread(500g)
$3.13Q 23.90
$1.81฿60.9
72.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.11Q 16.07
$2.25฿75.8
-6.22%
Eggs
$2.57Q 19.56
$2.25฿75.6
14.22%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.65Q 58.3
$19.51฿656
-60.79%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.62Q 65.7
$3.65฿123
136.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.71Q 89.3
$13.05฿439
-10.27%
Apples(1kg)
$3.50Q 26.71
$3.23฿109
8.36%
Banana(1kg)
$1.53Q 11.67
$1.62฿54.4
-5.56%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.06Q 23.30
$2.38฿80.2
28.57%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.83Q 13.97
$2.03฿68.2
-9.85%
Potato(1kg)
$1.78Q 13.55
$1.53฿51.6
16.34%
Onion(1kg)
$2.31Q 17.65
$1.50฿50.5
54.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.73Q 5.60
$0.98฿32.93
-25.51%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18Q 8.98
$0.52฿17.40
126.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.74Q 28.52
$4.44฿149
-15.77%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.19Q 62.5
$18.32฿616
-55.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61Q 12.27
$1.86฿62.7
-13.44%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50Q 19.03
$2.68฿90.2
-6.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.41฿47.49
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.70฿394
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.35Q 40.80
$3.11฿105
72.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.61Q 4.64
$1.04฿35.08
-41.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$15.93Q 121
$14.11฿475
12.90%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.08Q 8.20
$1.31฿44.13
-17.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.5KQ 148.8K
$27.8K฿936.0K
-29.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7KQ 188.6K
$33.2K฿1.1M
-25.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$80.0Q 610
$122฿4,120
-34.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.77Q 204
$13.59฿457
96.98%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.01Q 374
$18.70฿629
162.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$60.5฿2,035
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.98฿572
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.04Q 53.7
$9.07฿305
-22.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$245Q 1,870
$706฿23.8K
-65.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,694Q 43.4K
$15.8K฿531.8K
-63.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5Q 385
$58.6฿1,970
-13.83%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.9Q 403
$35.36฿1,190
49.63%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115Q 875
$115฿3,885
-0.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122Q 926
$83.7฿2,818
45.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$626฿21.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$445฿15.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,040฿68.7K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,492฿50.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,483฿117.2K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,577฿86.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chimaltenango
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$500฿16.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.9
5.33
66.98%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Chimaltenango: July 12, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Chimaltenango versus $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Chimaltenango vs $289 in Phuket – so Chimaltenango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Chimaltenango vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chimaltenango or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 69% more than Chimaltenango, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chimaltenango and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,112 per month in Chimaltenango and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Chimaltenango and in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Chimaltenango and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chimaltenango or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chimaltenango or in Phuket?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chimaltenango, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Chimaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chimaltenango or Phuket?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $741 versus $1,250 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chimaltenango compared to Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Chimaltenango or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Chimaltenango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Chimaltenango vs other spots: cost of living compared