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: $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Guatemala City versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Guatemala City versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 9% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 Q 39.90

$4.55 ฿153

14.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$46.18 ฿1,554

10.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 Q 47.56

$8.84 ฿298

-29.41%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.21

$3.06 ฿103

8.17%

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

$1.22 Q 9.27

$0.73 ฿24.42

67.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.09

$0.40 ฿13.40

132.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 Q 25.39

$2.43 ฿81.8

37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 Q 34.17

$3.78 ฿127

18.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 Q 15.59

$2.26 ฿76.0

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 Q 24.13

$1.81 ฿60.9

75.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 Q 15.63

$2.25 ฿75.8

-8.89%

Eggs

$2.54 Q 19.34

$2.25 ฿75.6

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 Q 59.2

$19.51 ฿656

-60.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 Q 65.5

$3.65 ฿123

135.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 Q 88.3

$13.05 ฿439

-11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 Q 27.29

$3.23 ฿109

10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.58

$1.62 ฿54.4

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.00

$2.38 ฿80.2

32.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.05

$2.03 ฿68.2

-9.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$1.53 ฿51.6

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 Q 18.01

$1.50 ฿50.5

57.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.61

$0.98 ฿32.93

-24.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.31

$0.52 ฿17.40

134.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 Q 27.90

$4.44 ฿149

-17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 Q 61.8

$18.32 ฿616

-55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.15

$1.86 ฿62.7

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 Q 19.25

$2.68 ฿90.2

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Q 9.70

$1.41 ฿47.49

-9.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.43 Q 102

$11.70 ฿394

14.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 Q 39.55

$3.11 ฿105

66.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 Q 4.55

$1.04 ฿35.08

-42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 Q 121

$14.11 ฿475

12.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.21

$1.31 ฿44.13

-17.56%

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

$19.6K Q 149.7K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-29.40%

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

$24.8K Q 189.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-25.22%

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

$80.4 Q 613

$122 ฿4,120

-34.37%

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

$26.23 Q 200

$13.59 ฿457

93.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.76 Q 372

$18.70 ฿629

160.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 Q 369

$60.5 ฿2,035

-19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 Q 187

$16.98 ฿572

44.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 Q 54.6

$9.07 ฿305

-21.06%

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

$249 Q 1,896

$706 ฿23.8K

-64.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,758 Q 43.9K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-63.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 Q 388

$58.6 ฿1,970

-12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 Q 407

$35.36 ฿1,190

50.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 903

$115 ฿3,885

2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 912

$83.7 ฿2,818

42.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 Q 5,467

$626 ฿21.1K

14.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,271

$445 ฿15.0K

-3.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 Q 10.5K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 Q 5,795

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-49.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 Q 15.4K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-42.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 Q 8,332

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-57.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 Q 6,569

$500 ฿16.8K

72.41%

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 Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Guatemala City and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Guatemala City vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $289, with Guatemala City 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

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

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $717 in Guatemala City versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,211 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.