Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetzaltenango and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetzaltenango and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,441 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,740 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Quetzaltenango costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quetzaltenango 16% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 Q 50.7

$4.41 ฿147

50.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.45 Q 377

$32.26 ฿1,077

53.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 Q 60.7

$8.93 ฿298

-10.75%

Cappuccino

$3.44 Q 26.19

$2.90 ฿96.6

18.62%

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

$1.12 Q 8.53

$0.88 ฿29.38

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Q 6.31

$0.48 ฿16.06

72.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 Q 24.57

$2.35 ฿78.5

37.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 Q 36.96

$3.72 ฿124

30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.53

$1.87 ฿62.3

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 Q 20.07

$1.47 ฿48.94

78.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 Q 15.89

$1.55 ฿51.8

34.19%

Eggs

$2.53 Q 19.27

$2.10 ฿70.1

20.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 Q 46.91

$19.59 ฿654

-68.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 Q 61.2

$3.42 ฿114

134.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 Q 98.9

$11.38 ฿380

14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 Q 22.61

$2.98 ฿99.6

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 Q 13.01

$1.68 ฿56.2

1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.89

$2.21 ฿73.7

29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 Q 12.44

$2.16 ฿72.1

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 Q 11.37

$1.52 ฿50.9

-1.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 Q 16.53

$1.34 ฿44.67

61.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 Q 5.52

$1.13 ฿37.67

-36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Q 9.10

$0.55 ฿18.24

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Q 24.66

$4.26 ฿142

-23.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 Q 61.0

$19.09 ฿637

-58.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 Q 13.51

$1.78 ฿59.4

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 Q 19.74

$2.78 ฿92.9

-6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 Q 39.58

$3.03 ฿101

71.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 Q 13.34

$1.02 ฿34.15

71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.50 Q 80.0

$3.89 ฿130

169.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 Q 9.37

$1.49 ฿49.77

-17.45%

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

$27.1K Q 206.4K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

1.88%

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

$25.7K Q 195.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-4.95%

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

$76.9 Q 586

$102 ฿3,420

-24.96%

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

$13.02 Q 99.2

$11.33 ฿378

14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.27 Q 345

$17.40 ฿581

160.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 Q 246

$52.1 ฿1,738

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 Q 49.79

$7.69 ฿257

-15.08%

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

$335 Q 2,556

$561 ฿18.7K

-40.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,666 Q 50.8K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-42.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.89 Q 365

$63.0 ฿2,104

-24.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 Q 357

$29.52 ฿986

58.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Q 822

$98.0 ฿3,272

10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 Q 851

$88.5 ฿2,954

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 Q 3,021

$738 ฿24.6K

-46.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 Q 3,024

$482 ฿16.1K

-17.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

5.57

108.62%

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

Last update for Quetzaltenango: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Quetzaltenango and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Quetzaltenango vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $274, with Quetzaltenango 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

Quetzaltenango vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,714 in Quetzaltenango and $1,847 in Phuket 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: $396 in Quetzaltenango versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $335 in Quetzaltenango versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,143 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quetzaltenango 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, Quetzaltenango and Phuket 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 Quetzaltenango 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.