Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manzanillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manzanillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,156 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,423 in Manzanillo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Manzanillo 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.43 MX$179

-56.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$35.90 MX$616

29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$11.01 MX$189

-23.07%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.91 MX$49.97

4.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.22 MX$20.88

-43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.28 MX$21.91

-71.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.08 MX$35.70

19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.71 MX$63.7

-1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.38 MX$23.76

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.51 MX$43.00

-24.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.34 MX$22.98

64.18%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.95 MX$33.50

13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.69 MX$115

198.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.41 MX$92.9

-32.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.43 MX$162

40.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.42 MX$41.49

33.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.43 MX$24.57

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.46 MX$25.07

63.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.61 MX$27.58

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.48 MX$42.63

-35.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.82 MX$48.33

-47.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.99 MX$34.24

-48.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.14 MX$19.49

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.10 MX$87.6

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.72 MX$115

179.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.52 MX$43.25

-30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.45 MX$42.12

12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.59 MX$10.20

130.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.42 MX$41.46

29.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.59 MX$27.21

-34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.43 MX$145

63.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.32 MX$22.71

1.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.0K MX$360.2K

31.89%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K MX$388.6K

49.56%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$124 MX$2,127

-0.28%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$15.96 MX$274

-15.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$24.65 MX$423

-24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$28.68 MX$492

115.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$15.90 MX$273

8.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.95 MX$67.8

131.39%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$52.7 MX$904

1233.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,659 MX$62.8K

333.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$48.13 MX$826

23.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.71 MX$493

22.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$121 MX$2,072

-4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$131 MX$2,242

-35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$704 MX$12.1K

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$401 MX$6,875

7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$950 MX$16.3K

116.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$767 MX$13.2K

97.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,874 MX$32.2K

94.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,115 MX$19.1K

135.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$396 MX$6,788

28.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.07

-51.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $704 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 28% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $228 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

Phuket vs Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Manzanillo differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,156 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 28% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $704 in Manzanillo. 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 $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,156 in Manzanillo – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,156 in Manzanillo versus $1,261 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, Phuket and Manzanillo 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.