Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zacapoaxtla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zacapoaxtla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $760 in Zacapoaxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,213 in Zacapoaxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Zacapoaxtla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Zacapoaxtla 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$4.37 MX$75.8

6.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$21.29 MX$369

118.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.18 MX$89.9

67.57%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.48 MX$43.00

18.95%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.01 MX$17.43

-30.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.09 MX$18.86

-64.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.22 MX$21.15

107.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.01 MX$34.86

88.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.30 MX$22.58

70.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.39 MX$24.12

29.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.41 MX$24.43

55.32%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.39 MX$41.39

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$3.10 MX$53.7

523.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.50 MX$78.0

-16.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$4.53 MX$78.5

191.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.25 MX$21.69

166.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.05 MX$18.15

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$0.55 MX$9.61

316.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.02 MX$17.60

95.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.79 MX$13.73

93.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.04 MX$17.97

45.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.17 MX$20.22

-11.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.98 MX$17.03

-47.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.11 MX$71.3

7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$13.90 MX$241

39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.13 MX$19.51

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.62 MX$28.01

65.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.74 MX$12.83

93.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$41.73 MX$723

-71.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.37 MX$23.68

121.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.28 MX$4.82

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$5.43 MX$94.1

151.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.29 MX$22.29

0.78%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$13.4K MX$232.5K

107.98%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$23.8K MX$413.2K

38.56%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$40.87 MX$708

200.88%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$25.95 MX$450

-46.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$30.33 MX$526

-37.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$35.37 MX$613

72.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$15.72 MX$272

6.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$2.58 MX$44.70

243.80%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$209 MX$3,630

232.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$3,545 MX$61.4K

353.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$18.29 MX$317

224.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$24.05 MX$417

44.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$42.29 MX$733

167.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$34.71 MX$601

145.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$481 MX$8,328

28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$247 MX$4,274

81.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,014 MX$17.6K

105.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$581 MX$10.1K

157.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,025 MX$35.1K

84.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,172 MX$20.3K

127.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$636 MX$11.0K

-16.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.34

-53.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $481 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zacapoaxtla pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $21 in Zacapoaxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $165 per month, with Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacapoaxtla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zacapoaxtla earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $481 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $209 in Zacapoaxtla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $760 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zacapoaxtla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zacapoaxtla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.