😐A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $869 in Chiquimula, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,415 in Chiquimula, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,961 in Chiquimula, rent included.
😐Phuket costs about 46% more than Chiquimula, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both Phuket and Chiquimula are more affordable than the global median – Phuket8% lower, Chiquimula37% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.66฿154
$9.01Q 68.7
-48.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.22฿1,065
$52.3Q 399
-38.43%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.68฿287
$9.18Q 70.0
-5.45%
Cappuccino
$2.90฿95.8
$4.04Q 30.79
-28.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84฿27.89
$2.27Q 17.34
-63.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.16
$1.43Q 10.89
-65.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.48฿82.0
$3.97Q 30.25
-37.53%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73฿123
$5.81Q 44.30
-35.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.89฿62.3
$2.10Q 16.01
-10.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.41฿46.54
$4.94Q 37.69
-71.46%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.62฿53.6
$1.60Q 12.19
1.25%
Eggs
$2.24฿74.1
$2.61Q 19.93
-14.18%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.84฿656
$5.29Q 40.39
275.05%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.48฿115
$16.00Q 122
-78.25%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.37฿376
$10.38Q 79.2
9.54%
Apples(1kg)
$2.90฿95.8
$4.49Q 34.27
-35.41%
Banana(1kg)
$1.72฿57.0
$2.08Q 15.90
-17.31%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.27฿75.1
$5.25Q 40.05
-56.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.13฿70.4
$1.67Q 12.71
27.54%
Potato(1kg)
$1.47฿48.72
$1.86Q 14.15
-20.97%
Onion(1kg)
$1.42฿46.92
$1.73Q 13.20
-17.92%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.10฿36.25
$1.28Q 9.78
-14.06%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60฿19.76
$1.38Q 10.54
-56.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31฿142
$4.04Q 30.79
6.68%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.60฿615
$8.77Q 66.9
112.09%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80฿59.5
$3.12Q 23.81
-42.31%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97฿98.0
$4.21Q 32.12
-29.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.25฿74.2
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$23.49฿776
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.10฿102
$4.70Q 35.85
-34.04%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.08฿35.56
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.87฿128
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.43฿47.16
$1.21Q 9.23
18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K฿918.0K
$22.6KQ 172.1K
23.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K฿891.5K
$22.0KQ 168.2K
22.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$105฿3,462
$62.6Q 477
67.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.39฿376
$38.85Q 296
-70.68%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.54฿580
$69.7Q 532
-74.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.3฿1,795
-
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.44฿378
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.78฿257
$8.74Q 66.7
-10.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$576฿19.0K
$534Q 4,076
7.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.6K฿382.7K
$14.0KQ 106.7K
-17.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.6฿2,103
$44.86Q 342
41.86%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.10฿961
$52.8Q 403
-44.89%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$96.2฿3,179
$93.1Q 710
3.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.0฿2,974
$88.3Q 673
1.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$733฿24.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$501฿16.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,126฿70.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,252฿41.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,534฿116.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,622฿86.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Chiquimula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$508฿16.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
0
-
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026
Last update for Chiquimula: September 7, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $52.0 in Chiquimula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $351 – 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 46%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,304 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $52.0 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 28% 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 $869, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.