Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zamora de Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zamora de Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Zamora de Hidalgo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,775 in Zamora de Hidalgo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,399 in Zamora de Hidalgo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Zamora de Hidalgo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zamora de Hidalgo 14% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 ฿151
$8.01 MX$140
-42.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 ฿1,532
$18.25 MX$319
156.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 ฿289
$8.05 MX$141
9.81%
Cappuccino
$3.00 ฿98.0
$3.52 MX$61.5
-14.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ฿24.25
$1.26 MX$22.07
-41.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ฿11.95
$1.00 MX$17.52
-63.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 ฿79.8
$1.55 MX$27.10
57.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 ฿118
$2.69 MX$47.14
34.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 ฿73.9
$1.56 MX$27.29
44.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 ฿60.1
$2.65 MX$46.46
-30.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 ฿73.4
$1.96 MX$34.30
14.29%
Eggs
$2.32 ฿75.7
$2.31 MX$40.42
0.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 ฿643
$8.04 MX$141
144.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 ฿119
$9.77 MX$171
-62.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 ฿428
$13.19 MX$231
-0.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 ฿111
$3.70 MX$64.8
-8.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ฿53.7
$1.45 MX$25.35
13.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 ฿79.0
$1.91 MX$33.46
26.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 ฿66.4
$1.71 MX$29.99
18.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿50.9
$1.71 MX$29.86
-8.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 ฿48.94
$1.88 MX$32.97
-20.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 ฿33.50
$1.29 MX$22.58
-20.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.00
$1.16 MX$20.35
-57.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 ฿145
$4.40 MX$76.9
1.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 ฿617
$17.59 MX$308
7.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿58.1
$1.99 MX$34.86
-10.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ฿90.1
$3.21 MX$56.2
-14.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 ฿45.81
$0.61 MX$10.68
129.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 ฿376
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 ฿102
$3.16 MX$55.3
-1.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 ฿32.67
$1.19 MX$20.90
-15.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 ฿461
$9.44 MX$165
49.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 ฿44.19
$1.32 MX$23.07
2.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K ฿888.9K
$20.1K MX$352.5K
34.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K ฿1.1M
$20.2K MX$353.7K
62.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 ฿4,087
$62.7 MX$1,098
99.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 ฿444
$23.92 MX$419
-43.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 ฿606
$27.89 MX$488
-33.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 ฿2,010
$36.57 MX$640
68.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 ฿551
$15.59 MX$273
8.02%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 ฿300
$5.88 MX$103
56.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 ฿22.8K
$317 MX$5,554
119.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K ฿509.9K
$4,784 MX$83.7K
225.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 ฿1,889
$51.3 MX$898
12.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 ฿1,152
$43.24 MX$757
-18.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 ฿3,699
$99.7 MX$1,745
13.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 ฿2,825
$98.4 MX$1,722
-12.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 ฿20.1K
$503 MX$8,804
22.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 ฿14.6K
$389 MX$6,815
14.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 ฿67.0K
$925 MX$16.2K
121.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 ฿48.8K
$755 MX$13.2K
97.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 ฿123.6K
$2,018 MX$35.3K
87.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 ฿86.6K
$1,258 MX$22.0K
110.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Zamora de Hidalgo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 ฿17.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
11.55
-53.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $503 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $295, with Phuket 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 Zamora de Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zamora de Hidalgo cheaper than Phuket?
Zamora de Hidalgo is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,726 in Zamora de Hidalgo 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Zamora de Hidalgo?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $503 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $317 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or Zamora de Hidalgo?
Dining out is cheaper in Zamora de Hidalgo – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or Zamora de Hidalgo?
At $1,151 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zamora de Hidalgo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zamora de Hidalgo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Zamora de Hidalgo more family-friendly?
For families, Zamora de Hidalgo 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Zamora de Hidalgo?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Zamora de Hidalgo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Zamora de Hidalgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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