Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quetzaltenango Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quetzaltenango

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,453 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,797 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quetzaltenango 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.95 Q 30.12

15.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$34.24 Q 261

34.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.02 Q 45.92

46.84%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.48 Q 18.88

23.39%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.49 Q 3.70

48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.48 Q 3.63

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.37 Q 10.43

77.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.06 Q 15.67

83.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.83 Q 13.93

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.63 Q 20.03

-31.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.04 Q 15.59

10.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.20 Q 16.75

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.96 Q 60.7

145.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.36 Q 48.45

-42.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.23 Q 70.3

41.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.37 Q 18.07

36.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.50 Q 11.47

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.01 Q 22.95

-20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.02 Q 7.79

99.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.69 Q 12.91

-9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.97 Q 15.02

-23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.71 Q 5.40

38.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.19 Q 9.08

-56.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.24 Q 24.70

37.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.26 Q 63.0

121.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.68 Q 12.83

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.42 Q 18.41

10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.27 Q 2.07

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.69 Q 28.16

-15.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.64 Q 4.88

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.48 Q 49.39

117.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.95 Q 7.21

37.89%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$15.6K Q 119.3K

77.78%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.1K Q 168.5K

50.26%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$81.3 Q 620

50.64%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$12.93 Q 98.6

5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$47.81 Q 364

-60.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$32.68 Q 249

85.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.30 Q 55.7

24.25%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$242 Q 1,846

191.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$5,794 Q 44.2K

172.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$51.0 Q 389

14.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$52.8 Q 402

-32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$110 Q 841

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$121 Q 926

-31.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$217 Q 1,653

188.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$407 Q 3,101

9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$379 Q 2,887

438.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$252 Q 1,919

492.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.69

-30.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $217 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Quetzaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $239 per month, with Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quetzaltenango is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,665 in Quetzaltenango to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $217 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $242 in Quetzaltenango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,110 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quetzaltenango is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.