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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Zacatecas costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.90 MX$117

$4.66 ฿154

48.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 MX$589

$32.22 ฿1,065

7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$133

$8.68 ฿287

-9.79%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MX$54.8

$2.90 ฿95.8

11.38%

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

$1.38 MX$23.34

$0.84 ฿27.89

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.28

$0.49 ฿16.16

59.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.48 ฿82.0

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 MX$77.2

$3.73 ฿123

21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.89 ฿62.3

-17.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 MX$39.19

$1.41 ฿46.54

63.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.34

$1.62 ฿53.6

6.79%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$40.62

$2.24 ฿74.1

6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 MX$134

$19.84 ฿656

-60.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 MX$108

$3.48 ฿115

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$176

$11.37 ฿376

-8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.35

$2.90 ฿95.8

-32.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.01

$1.72 ฿57.0

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.55

$2.27 ฿75.1

-2.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.15

$2.13 ฿70.4

-27.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.46

$1.47 ฿48.72

42.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.22

$1.42 ฿46.92

33.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$26.15

$1.10 ฿36.25

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.56

$0.60 ฿19.76

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MX$80.8

$4.31 ฿142

10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 MX$196

$18.60 ฿615

-37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MX$30.69

$1.80 ฿59.5

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$60.0

$2.97 ฿98.0

18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.03

$2.25 ฿74.2

-76.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.84 MX$303

$23.49 ฿776

-24.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 MX$41.11

$3.10 ฿102

-21.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.22

$1.08 ฿35.56

10.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.89 MX$219

$3.87 ฿128

233.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.01

$1.43 ฿47.16

11.19%

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

$23.3K MX$395.6K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-16.07%

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

$25.7K MX$435.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-4.88%

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

$24.89 MX$422

$105 ฿3,462

-76.25%

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

$9.09 MX$154

$11.39 ฿376

-20.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.23 MX$462

$17.54 ฿580

55.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.38 MX$448

$54.3 ฿1,795

-51.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 MX$149

$11.44 ฿378

-23.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$77.3

$7.78 ฿257

-41.39%

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

$278 MX$4,720

$576 ฿19.0K

-51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,489 MX$59.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-69.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.51 MX$823

$63.6 ฿2,103

-23.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.71 MX$775

$29.10 ฿961

57.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 MX$1,647

$96.2 ฿3,179

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.93 MX$796

$90.0 ฿2,974

-47.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 MX$4,435

$733 ฿24.2K

-64.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MX$2,979

$501 ฿16.5K

-64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 MX$7,020

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-80.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MX$4,486

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-78.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$617 MX$10.5K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-76.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 MX$7,667

$508 ฿16.8K

-10.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

5.57

93.90%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Zacatecas and $733 in Phuket. 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: $35.00 in Zacatecas vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $275, 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

Zacatecas vs Phuket: 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.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Phuket. 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: $261 in Zacatecas versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $278 in Zacatecas versus $576 in Phuket. 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, Zacatecas 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 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.