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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,740 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Quetzaltenango 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.65 Q 50.7

-33.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$49.45 Q 377

-34.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.97 Q 60.7

12.05%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.44 Q 26.19

-15.70%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.12 Q 8.53

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.83 Q 6.31

-42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.22 Q 24.57

-27.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.85 Q 36.96

-23.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.04 Q 15.53

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.63 Q 20.07

-44.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.08 Q 15.89

-25.48%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.53 Q 19.27

-17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.15 Q 46.91

218.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.03 Q 61.2

-57.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.98 Q 98.9

-12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.97 Q 22.61

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.71 Q 13.01

-1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.87 Q 21.89

-23.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.63 Q 12.44

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.49 Q 11.37

2.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.17 Q 16.53

-38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.72 Q 5.52

56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.19 Q 9.10

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.24 Q 24.66

31.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.01 Q 61.0

138.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.77 Q 13.51

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.59 Q 19.74

7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.19 Q 39.58

-41.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.75 Q 13.34

-41.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.50 Q 80.0

-62.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.23 Q 9.37

21.14%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$27.1K Q 206.4K

-1.84%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.7K Q 195.8K

5.21%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$76.9 Q 586

33.27%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$13.02 Q 99.2

-12.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$45.27 Q 345

-61.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$32.28 Q 246

61.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.53 Q 49.79

17.76%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$335 Q 2,556

67.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,666 Q 50.8K

72.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$47.89 Q 365

31.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$46.79 Q 357

-36.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$108 Q 822

-9.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$112 Q 851

-20.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$396 Q 3,021

86.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$397 Q 3,024

21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.62

-52.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $396 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Quetzaltenango. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $264, with Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quetzaltenango is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,714 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: $738 in Phuket versus $396 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $335 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 $49.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,143 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,232 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.