Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belize City

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize City: $1,236 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Belize City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Belize City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,236 in Belize City.

Phuket $1,278
Belize City $1,236

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,798 in Belize City.

Phuket $2,216
Belize City $1,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Belize City.

Phuket $3,154
Belize City $2,360

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Belize City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.40 BZD 12.81

-30.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$49.73 BZD 99.5

-34.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.65 BZD 19.30

-8.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.59 BZD 7.17

-21.17%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.72 BZD 3.44

-49.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.41 BZD 2.83

-65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.59 BZD 5.17

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.06 BZD 6.13

20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.68 BZD 7.36

-54.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.51 BZD 5.03

-41.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.45 BZD 6.91

-56.52%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.65 BZD 7.30

-42.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.54 BZD 13.08

191.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.80 BZD 19.61

-66.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.11 BZD 18.22

19.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.70 BZD 5.39

8.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.85 BZD 3.70

-8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.70 BZD 5.40

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.01 BZD 6.02

-30.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$4.06 BZD 8.12

-62.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.76 BZD 5.52

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.27 BZD 4.55

-52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.58 BZD 3.16

-67.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.52 BZD 9.05

-7.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.93 BZD 19.87

89.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.38 BZD 4.76

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.02 BZD 4.04

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$4.03 BZD 8.06

-64.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.92 BZD 9.85

-38.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$2.49 BZD 4.98

-40.96%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

150.26%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$376 BZD 753

-74.40%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$50.3 BZD 101

-77.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$27.00 BZD 54.0

-37.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$24.75 BZD 49.51

171.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$2.45 BZD 4.89

337.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.07 BZD 10.15

47.93%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$65.5 BZD 131

626.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$684 BZD 1,369

1546.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$32.81 BZD 65.6

90.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$24.95 BZD 49.90

13.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$37.57 BZD 75.2

150.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$37.85 BZD 75.7

126.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$344 BZD 687

108.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$193 BZD 386

154.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$563 BZD 1,127

242.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$321 BZD 641

346.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$849 BZD 1,698

-40.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Belize City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Belize City

$193 15.6% 60.7% $298

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Belize City

$318 25.8% 19.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Belize City

$454 36.7% 265% $329

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Belize City

$60 4.9% 50.8% $62

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Belize City

$155 12.5% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Belize City

$35 2.8% 57.6% $47

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Belize City

$21 * 1.7% 70.2% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $344 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $50 in Belize City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $318 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇿 Belize City

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

09:59 9:59 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

63,999

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BZD (1 BZD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Belize City 17,100 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Belize City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Belize 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 Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $344 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,236 in Belize City – Belize City is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Belize City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.