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 $938 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,518 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,098 in Zacatecas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zacatecas 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.26 MX$109

-24.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$31.34 MX$543

44.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.13 MX$124

18.23%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.98 MX$51.6

-1.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.22 MX$21.10

-43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.74 MX$12.80

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.89 MX$32.70

27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.89 MX$67.4

-4.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.34 MX$23.26

66.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.15 MX$37.29

-14.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.55 MX$26.78

40.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.19 MX$38.00

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.15 MX$124

176.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.73 MX$99.2

-36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.91 MX$154

51.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.71 MX$29.61

91.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.52 MX$26.28

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.86 MX$32.18

29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.39 MX$24.09

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.74 MX$30.24

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.95 MX$33.86

-24.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.33 MX$22.97

-25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.83 MX$14.34

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.20 MX$72.7

5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$11.13 MX$193

74.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.64 MX$28.37

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.30 MX$57.1

-17.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.52 MX$9.07

163.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.12 MX$279

-29.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.06 MX$35.75

46.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.94 MX$16.37

5.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$11.49 MX$199

22.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.29 MX$22.43

5.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$24.0K MX$416.5K

17.35%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.6K MX$409.8K

39.14%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$22.34 MX$387

444.76%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.74 MX$134

75.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$24.97 MX$433

-26.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$23.61 MX$409

155.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$8.08 MX$140

112.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.11 MX$71.2

111.44%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$191 MX$3,311

262.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,154 MX$54.7K

397.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$43.97 MX$762

35.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$42.04 MX$729

-17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$86.9 MX$1,506

31.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$42.14 MX$730

97.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$240 MX$4,158

155.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$393 MX$6,809

11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$364 MX$6,305

475.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$770 MX$13.3K

95.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$603 MX$10.4K

333.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$910 MX$15.8K

-44.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $240 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zacatecas pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $220 per month, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacatecas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zacatecas earns 79% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $240 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $191 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $938 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 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.