Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guatemala City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guatemala City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,211 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,920 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,629 in Guatemala City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.23 Q 39.87

-13.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$50.9 Q 388

-9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.24 Q 47.54

41.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.31 Q 25.19

-7.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.22 Q 9.26

-40.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.93 Q 7.09

-56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.33 Q 25.37

-27.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.48 Q 34.15

-15.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.05 Q 15.59

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.17 Q 24.12

-42.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.05 Q 15.62

9.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.54 Q 19.33

-11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.77 Q 59.2

151.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.59 Q 65.5

-57.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.59 Q 88.3

12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.58 Q 27.28

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.52 Q 11.57

6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.15 Q 23.98

-24.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.84 Q 14.04

10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.77 Q 13.46

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.36 Q 18.00

-36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.74 Q 5.61

32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.22 Q 9.31

-57.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.66 Q 27.88

21.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.11 Q 61.8

125.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.59 Q 12.15

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.53 Q 19.24

5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.27 Q 9.69

11.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$13.43 Q 102

-12.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$5.19 Q 39.53

-40.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.60 Q 4.54

73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$15.92 Q 121

-11.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.08 Q 8.21

21.30%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.6K Q 149.6K

41.65%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.8K Q 189.2K

33.73%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$80.4 Q 612

52.36%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$26.23 Q 200

-48.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$48.76 Q 372

-61.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$48.46 Q 369

24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$24.54 Q 187

-30.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.16 Q 54.5

26.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$249 Q 1,895

184.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,758 Q 43.9K

174.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$51.0 Q 388

14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$53.3 Q 406

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$119 Q 903

-2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$120 Q 912

-30.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$717 Q 5,464

-12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$429 Q 3,269

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,372 Q 10.5K

48.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$760 Q 5,791

96.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,016 Q 15.4K

72.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,093 Q 8,327

135.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$862 Q 6,566

-42.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.9

-40.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $717 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Guatemala City. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $277, with Guatemala City 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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Guatemala City. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $717 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $1,211 in Guatemala City – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.