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: $1,177 in Manzanillo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Manzanillo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Manzanillo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Manzanillo costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manzanillo 12% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.79 MX$189

$4.63 ฿151

133.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.50 MX$621

$46.84 ฿1,532

-24.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 MX$193

$8.84 ฿289

24.89%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MX$52.5

$3.00 ฿98.0

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

$1.21 MX$21.22

$0.74 ฿24.25

63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$21.68

$0.37 ฿11.95

235.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.43

$2.44 ฿79.8

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 MX$65.8

$3.61 ฿118

4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.35

$2.26 ฿73.9

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 MX$43.31

$1.84 ฿60.1

34.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MX$23.02

$2.24 ฿73.4

-41.07%

Eggs

$2.06 MX$36.07

$2.32 ฿75.7

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 MX$116

$19.67 ฿643

-66.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 MX$89.9

$3.65 ฿119

40.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 MX$162

$13.10 ฿428

-29.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 MX$42.69

$3.39 ฿111

-28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.87

$1.64 ฿53.7

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.81

$2.41 ฿79.0

-36.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.25

$2.03 ฿66.4

-20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 MX$41.42

$1.56 ฿50.9

51.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 MX$49.48

$1.50 ฿48.94

88.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 MX$35.74

$1.02 ฿33.50

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$20.55

$0.49 ฿16.00

138.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 MX$89.3

$4.45 ฿145

14.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 MX$124

$18.88 ฿617

-62.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 MX$42.91

$1.78 ฿58.1

37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 MX$44.42

$2.75 ฿90.1

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.73

$1.40 ฿45.81

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 MX$41.37

$3.12 ฿102

-24.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 MX$27.67

$1.00 ฿32.67

58.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 MX$143

$14.09 ฿461

-42.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.19

$1.35 ฿44.19

-5.93%

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

$20.6K MX$360.4K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-24.23%

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

$23.4K MX$408.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-29.02%

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

$124 MX$2,165

$125 ฿4,087

-1.03%

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

$15.89 MX$278

$13.57 ฿444

17.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.37 MX$426

$18.52 ฿606

31.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.11 MX$509

$61.5 ฿2,010

-52.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.81 MX$277

$16.84 ฿551

-6.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.85 MX$67.4

$9.19 ฿300

-58.11%

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

$53.1 MX$929

$698 ฿22.8K

-92.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,556 MX$62.2K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-77.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.80 MX$854

$57.8 ฿1,889

-15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.13 MX$492

$35.24 ฿1,152

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,128

$113 ฿3,699

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,241

$86.4 ฿2,825

48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 MX$12.5K

$616 ฿20.1K

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 MX$7,118

$446 ฿14.6K

-8.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 MX$16.3K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-54.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MX$13.4K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-48.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,704 MX$29.8K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-54.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 MX$21.9K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-52.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 MX$6,967

$524 ฿17.1K

-24.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

5.33

107.69%

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

Last update for Manzanillo: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Manzanillo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $35.00 in Manzanillo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $292 per month, with Manzanillo 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

Manzanillo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzanillo and Phuket differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,177 vs $1,232 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 32% less. 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: $713 in Manzanillo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,177 per month in Manzanillo versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,177 in Manzanillo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.