😐A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $808 in Chiquimula, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,324 in Chiquimula, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,841 in Chiquimula, rent included.
😐Phuket costs about 55% more than Chiquimula, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both Phuket and Chiquimula are more affordable than the global median – Phuket6% lower, Chiquimula39% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.55฿153
$8.36Q 63.7
-45.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.18฿1,553
$52.7Q 402
-12.37%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿297
$9.24Q 70.4
-4.33%
Cappuccino
$3.06฿103
$4.00Q 30.47
-23.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73฿24.40
$1.99Q 15.20
-63.32%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40฿13.39
$1.25Q 9.54
-68.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.43฿81.8
$3.95Q 30.13
-38.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78฿127
$5.80Q 44.18
-34.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿76.0
$1.94Q 14.80
16.49%
White Bread(500g)
$1.81฿60.9
$3.68Q 28.06
-50.82%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.25฿75.8
$1.59Q 12.11
41.51%
Eggs
$2.25฿75.5
$2.58Q 19.67
-12.79%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.51฿656
$7.62Q 58.0
156.04%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿123
$9.28Q 70.7
-60.67%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.05฿439
$10.17Q 77.5
28.32%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿109
$4.55Q 34.66
-29.01%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62฿54.4
$2.16Q 16.43
-25.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.38฿80.1
$5.03Q 38.35
-52.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿68.1
$1.66Q 12.63
22.29%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿51.6
$1.89Q 14.39
-19.05%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿50.5
$1.76Q 13.43
-14.77%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.98฿32.91
$1.29Q 9.82
-24.03%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿17.39
$1.33Q 10.15
-60.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44฿149
$3.86Q 29.40
15.03%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.32฿616
$8.71Q 66.4
110.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86฿62.7
$2.91Q 22.17
-36.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68฿90.1
$3.72Q 28.33
-27.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.41฿47.46
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.70฿393
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.11฿105
$4.59Q 34.98
-32.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿35.06
$0.64Q 4.87
62.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.11฿474
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31฿44.10
$1.12Q 8.55
16.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K฿935.4K
$19.9KQ 151.9K
39.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K฿1.1M
$22.1KQ 168.0K
50.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$122฿4,118
$49.39Q 376
147.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.59฿457
$40.01Q 305
-66.03%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.70฿629
$67.3Q 512
-72.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.5฿2,034
-
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.98฿571
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.07฿305
$8.29Q 63.2
9.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$706฿23.8K
$521Q 3,972
35.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.8K฿531.5K
$12.4KQ 94.6K
27.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6฿1,969
$45.87Q 349
27.64%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.36฿1,189
$53.7Q 409
-34.13%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,883
$102Q 778
13.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.7฿2,816
$85.8Q 654
-2.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$626฿21.0K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$445฿15.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,040฿68.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿50.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,483฿117.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,577฿86.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$500฿16.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
8.5
-37.29%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Last update for Chiquimula: July 14, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $53.0 in Chiquimula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $307 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Chiquimula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chiquimula cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 55%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,212 in Chiquimula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Chiquimula?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $53.0 in Chiquimula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Chiquimula?
Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Chiquimula?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chiquimula, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Chiquimula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Chiquimula more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Chiquimula – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Chiquimula?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Chiquimula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.