Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zihuatanejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zihuatanejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,129 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,762 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,396 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zihuatanejo 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.77 MX$185

-58.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$39.36 MX$677

18.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.01 MX$138

5.99%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.27 MX$56.2

-5.81%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.29 MX$22.12

-47.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.89 MX$15.37

-59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.45 MX$42.17

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.82 MX$65.8

-4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.48 MX$25.53

47.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$3.40 MX$58.5

-46.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.63 MX$28.13

36.81%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$4.33 MX$74.4

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$8.16 MX$140

140.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$7.94 MX$137

-53.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.60 MX$182

27.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.67 MX$45.88

25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.46 MX$25.04

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.80 MX$30.89

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.64 MX$28.14

21.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.87 MX$32.09

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.95 MX$33.56

-25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.25 MX$21.59

-19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.02 MX$17.53

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.30 MX$74.0

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.19 MX$175

87.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.60 MX$27.45

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.85 MX$48.96

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.66 MX$11.35

115.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.63 MX$45.24

14.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.55 MX$26.67

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$8.15 MX$140

70.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.31 MX$22.52

-1.53%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$20.8K MX$358.2K

34.65%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.7K MX$389.9K

47.84%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$56.2 MX$967

117.05%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$10.48 MX$180

32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$27.97 MX$481

-32.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$35.76 MX$615

71.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$16.13 MX$278

4.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.52 MX$77.8

96.68%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$204 MX$3,510

238.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,552 MX$61.1K

354.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$52.1 MX$896

10.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$39.86 MX$686

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$87.9 MX$1,513

28.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$80.7 MX$1,388

2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$504 MX$8,678

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$397 MX$6,829

12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$919 MX$15.8K

120.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$756 MX$13.0K

97.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,187 MX$37.6K

63.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,404 MX$24.2K

84.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $504 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $267 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,694 in Zihuatanejo 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: $607 in Phuket versus $504 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $204 in Zihuatanejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,129 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.