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: $938 in Zacatecas versus $1,265 in Phuket.

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

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

Living in Zacatecas costs roughly 26% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 MX$109

$4.70 ฿154

33.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.34 MX$543

$45.37 ฿1,483

-30.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 MX$124

$8.43 ฿276

-15.42%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MX$51.6

$2.93 ฿95.7

1.71%

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

$1.22 MX$21.10

$0.69 ฿22.42

76.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MX$12.80

$0.37 ฿12.00

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 MX$32.70

$2.41 ฿78.7

-21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.4

$3.72 ฿122

4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.26

$2.23 ฿73.0

-39.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$37.29

$1.83 ฿59.9

17.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.78

$2.17 ฿70.9

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$38.00

$2.21 ฿72.4

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 MX$124

$19.74 ฿645

-63.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 MX$99.2

$3.63 ฿119

57.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 MX$154

$13.53 ฿442

-34.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$3.28 ฿107

-47.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.28

$1.61 ฿52.7

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$2.41 ฿78.7

-22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.08 ฿68.1

-33.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.24

$1.53 ฿49.97

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.86

$1.48 ฿48.41

31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.97

$0.99 ฿32.32

34.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.34

$0.51 ฿16.68

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.7

$4.41 ฿144

-4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$193

$19.38 ฿634

-42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.78 ฿58.1

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MX$57.1

$2.71 ฿88.7

21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.37 ฿44.83

-62.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 MX$279

$11.39 ฿372

41.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.75

$3.02 ฿98.7

-31.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.37

$0.99 ฿32.51

-5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 MX$199

$14.10 ฿461

-18.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.43

$1.36 ฿44.55

-5.15%

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

$24.0K MX$416.5K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-14.78%

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

$23.6K MX$409.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-28.13%

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

$22.34 MX$387

$122 ฿3,978

-81.64%

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

$7.74 MX$134

$13.57 ฿444

-42.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.97 MX$433

$18.31 ฿599

36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.61 MX$409

$60.2 ฿1,969

-60.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.08 MX$140

$17.14 ฿560

-52.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 MX$71.2

$8.69 ฿284

-52.70%

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

$191 MX$3,311

$693 ฿22.7K

-72.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,154 MX$54.7K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-79.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.97 MX$762

$59.5 ฿1,946

-26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 MX$729

$34.77 ฿1,137

20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 MX$1,506

$115 ฿3,746

-24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.14 MX$730

$83.3 ฿2,723

-49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 MX$4,158

$613 ฿20.0K

-60.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,809

$437 ฿14.3K

-10.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 MX$6,305

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-82.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.3K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-48.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 MX$10.4K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-76.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$15.8K

$508 ฿16.6K

79.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.33

115.38%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Zacatecas and $613 in Phuket. 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: $31.00 in Zacatecas vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $293 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

Zacatecas vs Phuket: 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.

Zacatecas pays 79% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $240 in Zacatecas versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $191 in Zacatecas versus $693 in Phuket. 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, 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 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.