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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,098 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quetzaltenango 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.11 Q 31.29

14.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$34.08 Q 260

33.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.85 Q 44.56

44.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.55 Q 19.43

14.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.48 Q 3.66

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.49 Q 3.71

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.39 Q 10.56

73.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.95 Q 14.85

90.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.82 Q 13.86

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.62 Q 19.98

-30.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.03 Q 15.45

6.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.22 Q 16.95

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.98 Q 60.8

147.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.27 Q 47.77

-42.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.23 Q 70.3

46.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.41 Q 18.39

36.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.53 Q 11.66

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.12 Q 23.77

-22.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.02 Q 7.80

103.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.75 Q 13.31

-12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.89 Q 14.43

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.75 Q 5.74

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.22 Q 9.30

-58.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.31 Q 25.25

33.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.94 Q 60.5

144.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.66 Q 12.66

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.44 Q 18.61

11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 Q 2.07

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.67 Q 27.94

-17.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.60 Q 4.60

65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.61 Q 50.3

113.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.95 Q 7.24

43.16%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$15.6K Q 119.0K

80.64%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K Q 173.2K

44.79%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$79.4 Q 605

53.31%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.27 Q 101

2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$47.94 Q 365

-61.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$32.69 Q 249

84.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.39 Q 56.3

17.59%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$244 Q 1,859

184.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,720 Q 43.6K

174.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$49.21 Q 375

20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$54.1 Q 412

-35.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$112 Q 850

2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$124 Q 946

-32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$211 Q 1,606

190.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$401 Q 3,056

9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$376 Q 2,868

456.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$260 Q 1,981

480.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $211 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Quetzaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,647 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: $613 in Phuket versus $211 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $244 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,098 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,265 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 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.