Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zacatecas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zacatecas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $806 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,275 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,744 in Zacatecas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zacatecas 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.90 MX$117

-32.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$34.73 MX$589

-7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.83 MX$133

10.86%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.23 MX$54.8

-10.22%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.38 MX$23.34

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.78 MX$13.28

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.12 MX$35.97

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.55 MX$77.2

-18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.55 MX$26.27

21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.31 MX$39.19

-38.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.73 MX$29.34

-6.36%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.39 MX$40.62

-6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.91 MX$134

150.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.38 MX$108

-45.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.37 MX$176

9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.97 MX$33.35

47.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.77 MX$30.01

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.21 MX$37.55

2.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.54 MX$26.15

38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.09 MX$35.46

-29.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.90 MX$32.22

-25.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.54 MX$26.15

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.92 MX$15.56

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.76 MX$80.8

-9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.57 MX$196

60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.81 MX$30.69

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.53 MX$60.0

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.53 MX$9.03

324.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$17.84 MX$303

31.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.42 MX$41.11

28.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.19 MX$20.22

-9.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$12.89 MX$219

-69.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.59 MX$27.01

-10.06%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.3K MX$395.6K

19.15%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.7K MX$435.4K

5.13%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$24.89 MX$422

321.05%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.09 MX$154

25.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$27.23 MX$462

-35.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$26.38 MX$448

105.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$8.77 MX$149

30.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.56 MX$77.3

70.61%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$278 MX$4,720

107.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,489 MX$59.2K

231.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$48.51 MX$823

31.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$45.71 MX$775

-36.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$97.1 MX$1,647

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$46.93 MX$796

91.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$261 MX$4,435

180.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$176 MX$2,979

185.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$414 MX$7,020

413.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$264 MX$4,486

373.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$617 MX$10.5K

324.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$452 MX$7,667

12.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.8

-48.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $261 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Zacatecas. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $245, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacatecas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Phuket, 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: $733 in Phuket versus $261 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $278 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Zacatecas versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.