Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzanillo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzanillo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Manzanillo versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,353 in Manzanillo versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Manzanillo is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manzanillo 4% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 MX$199

$4.41 ฿147

162.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.59 MX$613

$32.26 ฿1,074

10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 MX$202

$8.93 ฿297

31.13%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$62.3

$2.90 ฿96.4

24.83%

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

$1.35 MX$23.18

$0.88 ฿29.30

53.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.76

$0.48 ฿16.01

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.49

$2.35 ฿78.3

9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.1

$3.72 ฿124

26.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.57

$1.87 ฿62.1

-20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 MX$48.83

$1.47 ฿48.81

93.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.40

$1.55 ฿51.7

-1.29%

Eggs

$2.27 MX$39.05

$2.10 ฿70.0

8.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 MX$121

$19.59 ฿652

-64.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 MX$101

$3.42 ฿114

70.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 MX$196

$11.38 ฿379

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$51.7

$2.98 ฿99.3

0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.05

$1.68 ฿56.1

-2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.83

$2.21 ฿73.5

-26.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.03

$2.16 ฿72.0

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.65

$1.52 ฿50.8

78.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.11

$1.34 ฿44.55

38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 MX$39.48

$1.13 ฿37.57

102.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.35

$0.55 ฿18.19

156.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 MX$107

$4.26 ฿142

45.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 MX$199

$19.09 ฿635

-39.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 MX$42.47

$1.78 ฿59.2

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$45.86

$2.78 ฿92.6

-4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.07

$2.23 ฿74.2

-63.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 MX$45.95

$3.03 ฿101

-11.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 MX$46.95

$1.02 ฿34.06

167.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$204

$3.89 ฿130

203.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.28

$1.49 ฿49.63

2.68%

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

$22.2K MX$382.1K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-16.51%

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

$25.9K MX$446.8K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-3.99%

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

$69.6 MX$1,198

$102 ฿3,411

-32.11%

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

$21.67 MX$373

$11.33 ฿377

91.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 MX$590

$17.40 ฿579

97.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.2 MX$1,192

$52.1 ฿1,734

32.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.61 MX$613

$11.07 ฿369

221.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 MX$79.9

$7.69 ฿256

-39.66%

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

$208 MX$3,580

$561 ฿18.7K

-62.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.15 MX$795

$63.0 ฿2,098

-26.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.86 MX$531

$29.52 ฿983

4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MX$1,434

$98.0 ฿3,263

-15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 MX$2,470

$88.5 ฿2,946

62.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.2K

$738 ฿24.6K

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 MX$8,370

$482 ฿16.1K

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 MX$28.6K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 MX$25.0K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 MX$6,818

$494 ฿16.4K

-19.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in Manzanillo and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Manzanillo vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $261 vs $274, with Manzanillo 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

Manzanillo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzanillo and Phuket differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,315 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $709 in Manzanillo versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Manzanillo pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,315 per month in Manzanillo versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Manzanillo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manzanillo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Manzanillo 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 7% less than in Manzanillo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.