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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,412 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zihuatanejo 17% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 MX$186

$4.66 ฿150

130.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 MX$663

$46.44 ฿1,496

-17.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$134

$8.68 ฿280

-10.94%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MX$55.8

$2.95 ฿95.0

9.15%

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

$1.23 MX$21.30

$0.70 ฿22.52

75.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.55

$0.39 ฿12.70

143.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.11

$2.53 ฿81.6

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MX$65.7

$3.78 ฿122

0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.03

$2.22 ฿71.5

-35.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$59.0

$1.80 ฿57.8

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.95

$2.19 ฿70.4

-28.77%

Eggs

$4.30 MX$74.5

$2.31 ฿74.5

86.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$141

$19.34 ฿623

-58.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$3.77 ฿121

103.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 MX$187

$13.22 ฿426

-18.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.69

$3.33 ฿107

-19.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.92

$1.65 ฿53.1

-16.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.84

$2.29 ฿73.7

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.99 ฿64.1

-16.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.19

$1.53 ฿49.24

25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.89

$1.51 ฿48.77

33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.81

$1.03 ฿33.12

16.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.62

$0.51 ฿16.57

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.6

$4.41 ฿142

-2.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 MX$206

$19.41 ฿625

-38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.12

$1.80 ฿58.0

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$49.66

$2.68 ฿86.4

7.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.20

$1.43 ฿46.11

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.05

$3.04 ฿97.9

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.60

$1.04 ฿33.37

47.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MX$140

$13.68 ฿441

-40.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.84

$1.30 ฿41.85

1.54%

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

$21.1K MX$365.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-24.39%

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

$22.2K MX$384.6K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-32.83%

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

$56.2 MX$973

$123 ฿3,962

-54.33%

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

$10.51 MX$182

$13.82 ฿445

-23.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$492

$18.86 ฿608

50.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 MX$622

$61.2 ฿1,970

-41.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$270

$16.81 ฿541

-7.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$81.1

$8.87 ฿286

-47.24%

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

$203 MX$3,521

$696 ฿22.4K

-70.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,542 MX$61.4K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-77.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$934

$59.3 ฿1,910

-9.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$34.85 ฿1,123

15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,560

$113 ฿3,646

-20.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 MX$1,398

$85.1 ฿2,740

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,890

$615 ฿19.8K

-16.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,764

$448 ฿14.4K

-12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-56.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.4K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-48.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 MX$38.7K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-40.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 MX$22.4K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-51.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Zihuatanejo and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Zihuatanejo vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $291 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

Zihuatanejo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,663 in Zihuatanejo and $1,904 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: $513 in Zihuatanejo versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Zihuatanejo versus $696 in Phuket. 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 $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,270 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, Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.