Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $730 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
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Zacatecas Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$730

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zacatecas and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zacatecas and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Zacatecas versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Zacatecas $730
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Zacatecas versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Zacatecas $1,155
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Zacatecas versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Zacatecas $1,580
Phuket $3,154

Living in Zacatecas costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zacatecas 46% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 MX$113

$4.47 ฿151

35.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.91 MX$594

$32.41 ฿1,092

-1.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 MX$134

$8.81 ฿297

-18.62%

Cappuccino

$3.01 MX$56.2

$2.83 ฿95.3

6.36%

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

$1.25 MX$23.32

$0.87 ฿29.37

43.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$13.36

$0.49 ฿16.64

46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MX$34.21

$2.56 ฿86.2

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$76.9

$3.68 ฿124

12.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$25.16

$1.66 ฿55.9

-18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$39.96

$1.46 ฿49.25

47.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MX$28.41

$1.50 ฿50.4

2.00%

Eggs

$2.21 MX$41.13

$2.09 ฿70.4

5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 MX$136

$19.07 ฿642

-61.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 MX$111

$3.30 ฿111

80.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 MX$179

$10.91 ฿368

-11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 MX$33.12

$2.93 ฿98.7

-39.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.63

$1.69 ฿56.9

-5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.88

$2.25 ฿75.7

-14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MX$27.16

$2.08 ฿70.0

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.99

$1.51 ฿50.9

31.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.98

$1.38 ฿46.47

28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$29.46

$1.07 ฿35.91

47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.88

$0.52 ฿17.49

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$4.20 ฿142

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 MX$191

$18.79 ฿633

-45.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$29.77

$1.82 ฿61.4

-12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$62.4

$2.84 ฿95.7

17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.82

$1.45 ฿48.93

-63.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.07 MX$299

$56.7 ฿1,909

-71.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 MX$39.72

$3.02 ฿102

-29.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 MX$20.66

$1.02 ฿34.29

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 MX$177

$3.69 ฿124

157.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$27.19

$1.47 ฿49.70

-0.68%

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

$20.9K MX$389.7K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-21.89%

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

$23.8K MX$443.0K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-10.91%

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

$22.72 MX$423

$96.4 ฿3,247

-76.42%

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

$7.97 MX$149

$11.26 ฿380

-29.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.73 MX$461

$16.85 ฿568

46.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.23 MX$451

$67.2 ฿2,266

-63.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.96 MX$148

$10.73 ฿361

-25.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MX$79.1

$7.50 ฿253

-43.47%

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

$235 MX$4,377

$476 ฿16.0K

-50.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,243 MX$60.4K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-71.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.83 MX$835

$62.4 ฿2,102

-28.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MX$748

$28.41 ฿957

41.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MX$1,689

$94.3 ฿3,178

-3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.77 MX$797

$85.8 ฿2,892

-50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 MX$4,495

$716 ฿24.1K

-66.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 MX$3,022

$491 ฿16.5K

-66.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,091

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-80.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 MX$4,486

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-83.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 MX$10.5K

$3,045 ฿102.6K

-81.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 MX$7,599

$502 ฿16.9K

-18.79%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Zacatecas

$224 30.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 18.6% $42

Accommodation & Living

Zacatecas

$162 22.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 203% $329

Eating Out

Zacatecas

$131 18%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 7.4% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Zacatecas

$98 13.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 24% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zacatecas

$55 7.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 125% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Zacatecas

$33 4.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 151% $50

Getting Around

Zacatecas

$26 3.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 173% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Zacatecas and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $32 in Zacatecas vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $266 per month, with Zacatecas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

19:37 7:37 PM

13 h ahead of Zacatecas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,444

79,308

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zacatecas Phuket 15,910 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Zacatecas
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 43% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Zacatecas. 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: $241 in Zacatecas versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Zacatecas versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Zacatecas runs roughly 72% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $730 in Zacatecas versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zacatecas and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Zacatecas wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.