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 $1,177 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,834 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,491 in Manzanillo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Manzanillo 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.79 MX$189

-57.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$35.50 MX$621

31.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$11.04 MX$193

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.00 MX$52.5

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.21 MX$21.22

-38.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.24 MX$21.68

-70.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.14 MX$37.43

14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.76 MX$65.8

-3.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.33 MX$23.35

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.47 MX$43.31

-25.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.32 MX$23.02

69.70%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.06 MX$36.07

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.63 MX$116

196.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.14 MX$89.9

-28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.27 MX$162

41.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.44 MX$42.69

38.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.42 MX$24.87

15.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.53 MX$26.81

57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.61 MX$28.25

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.37 MX$41.42

-34.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.83 MX$49.48

-47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.04 MX$35.74

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.17 MX$20.55

-58.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.10 MX$89.3

-12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.06 MX$124

167.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.45 MX$42.91

-27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.54 MX$44.42

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.56 MX$9.73

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.36 MX$41.37

32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.58 MX$27.67

-36.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.15 MX$143

72.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.27 MX$22.19

6.30%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.6K MX$360.4K

31.98%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.4K MX$408.9K

40.88%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$124 MX$2,165

1.04%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.89 MX$278

-14.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$24.37 MX$426

-24.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.11 MX$509

111.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.81 MX$277

6.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.85 MX$67.4

138.70%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$53.1 MX$929

1214.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,556 MX$62.2K

338.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.80 MX$854

18.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$28.13 MX$492

25.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$122 MX$2,128

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$128 MX$2,241

-32.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$713 MX$12.5K

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$407 MX$7,118

9.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$934 MX$16.3K

119.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$768 MX$13.4K

94.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,704 MX$29.8K

121.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,252 MX$21.9K

111.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$398 MX$6,967

31.57%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $713 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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 $35.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $226 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,177 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $713 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 $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,177 in Manzanillo – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,177 in Manzanillo versus $1,232 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.