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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Guatemala City versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,024 in Guatemala City versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,696 in Guatemala City versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 8% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 2% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.99 Q 53.3

$4.56 ฿150

53.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.28 Q 376

$32.62 ฿1,073

51.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 Q 58.6

$8.90 ฿293

-13.71%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 26.04

$2.80 ฿92.2

21.79%

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

$1.12 Q 8.52

$0.88 ฿28.94

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 Q 6.78

$0.49 ฿16.08

81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 Q 24.50

$2.39 ฿78.5

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 Q 36.59

$3.71 ฿122

29.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 Q 15.93

$1.79 ฿58.8

16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 Q 22.06

$1.44 ฿47.40

100.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 Q 15.47

$1.58 ฿52.1

28.48%

Eggs

$2.47 Q 18.81

$2.13 ฿69.9

15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 Q 49.52

$19.92 ฿655

-67.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 Q 71.1

$3.43 ฿113

171.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 Q 102

$11.33 ฿372

17.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 Q 29.02

$2.95 ฿97.0

28.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.15

$1.72 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 Q 22.17

$2.32 ฿76.5

25.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.56

$2.08 ฿68.4

-20.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Q 11.31

$1.47 ฿48.34

0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 Q 16.57

$1.36 ฿44.65

59.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.24

$1.10 ฿36.13

-37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.21

$0.57 ฿18.89

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.58

$4.27 ฿140

-6.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$18.42 ฿606

-56.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 Q 13.76

$1.87 ฿61.5

-3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.68

$2.92 ฿96.1

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.77

$2.22 ฿73.0

-42.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.99 Q 107

$22.90 ฿753

-38.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 Q 39.51

$3.03 ฿99.6

70.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.43 Q 79.6

$3.93 ฿129

165.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 Q 9.80

$1.49 ฿49.06

-14.09%

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

$27.9K Q 212.9K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

2.90%

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

$25.7K Q 196.3K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-6.28%

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

$76.4 Q 583

$103 ฿3,380

-25.64%

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

$29.08 Q 222

$10.99 ฿361

164.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.55 Q 347

$17.51 ฿576

160.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.86 Q 304

$53.5 ฿1,760

-25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 Q 99.8

$11.20 ฿368

16.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 Q 48.68

$7.48 ฿246

-14.71%

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

$344 Q 2,621

$557 ฿18.3K

-38.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,719 Q 51.3K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-43.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.73 Q 364

$64.1 ฿2,107

-25.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 Q 365

$29.07 ฿956

64.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Q 822

$96.0 ฿3,155

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 850

$90.3 ฿2,970

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,316

$730 ฿24.0K

13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 Q 4,163

$500 ฿16.4K

9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 Q 11.9K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 Q 6,249

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-32.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,043 Q 15.6K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-43.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 Q 8,416

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-56.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$843 Q 6,427

$503 ฿16.6K

67.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

5.57

108.62%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Guatemala City and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 67% 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: $49.00 in Guatemala City vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Guatemala City, 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: $828 in Guatemala City versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $49.00 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,253 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Guatemala 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.