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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,334 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,353 in Manzanillo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Manzanillo 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.56 MX$199

-61.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$35.59 MX$613

-9.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$11.71 MX$202

-23.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.62 MX$62.3

-19.89%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.35 MX$23.18

-34.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.32 MX$22.76

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.58 MX$44.49

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.71 MX$81.1

-21.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.48 MX$25.57

26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$2.84 MX$48.83

-48.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.53 MX$26.40

1.31%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.27 MX$39.05

-7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.03 MX$121

178.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.84 MX$101

-41.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$11.40 MX$196

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.00 MX$51.7

-0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.63 MX$28.05

3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.62 MX$27.83

36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.63 MX$28.03

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.71 MX$46.65

-43.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.86 MX$32.11

-27.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$2.29 MX$39.48

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$1.41 MX$24.35

-60.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.19 MX$107

-31.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$11.53 MX$199

65.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.47 MX$42.47

-27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.66 MX$45.86

4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.82 MX$14.07

171.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.67 MX$45.95

13.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$2.73 MX$46.95

-62.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$11.82 MX$204

-67.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.53 MX$26.28

-2.61%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$22.2K MX$382.1K

19.77%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$25.9K MX$446.8K

4.16%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$69.6 MX$1,198

47.29%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$21.67 MX$373

-47.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$34.28 MX$590

-49.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$69.2 MX$1,192

-24.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$35.61 MX$613

-68.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.64 MX$79.9

65.73%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$208 MX$3,580

169.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$46.15 MX$795

36.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$30.86 MX$531

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$83.3 MX$1,434

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$143 MX$2,470

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$709 MX$12.2K

4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$486 MX$8,370

-0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,664 MX$28.6K

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$1,450 MX$25.0K

-15.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$396 MX$6,818

24.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $709 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Manzanillo. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $261, with Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Manzanillo differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,315 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Phuket, 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: $738 in Phuket versus $709 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Manzanillo pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,315 in Manzanillo – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Manzanillo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manzanillo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Manzanillo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.