Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $974 per month in Acapulco vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Acapulco vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Acapulco vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Acapulco is about 22% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Acapulco and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Acapulco 27% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 MX$187

$4.55 ฿153

134.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.14 MX$564

$46.18 ฿1,554

-30.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 MX$198

$8.84 ฿298

27.83%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$63.3

$3.06 ฿103

17.97%

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

$1.83 MX$32.12

$0.73 ฿24.42

150.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.61

$0.40 ฿13.40

307.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MX$46.93

$2.43 ฿81.8

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$82.8

$3.78 ฿127

24.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$28.20

$2.26 ฿76.0

-28.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$1.81 ฿60.9

75.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.19

$2.25 ฿75.8

-31.11%

Eggs

$1.75 MX$30.64

$2.25 ฿75.6

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 MX$112

$19.51 ฿656

-67.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 MX$143

$3.65 ฿123

123.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 MX$183

$13.05 ฿439

-19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 MX$76.7

$3.23 ฿109

35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.97

$1.62 ฿54.4

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.6

$2.38 ฿80.2

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 MX$54.2

$2.03 ฿68.2

52.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 MX$57.3

$1.53 ฿51.6

113.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 MX$49.12

$1.50 ฿50.5

86.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$21.12

$0.98 ฿32.93

22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$14.22

$0.52 ฿17.40

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 MX$137

$4.44 ฿149

75.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 MX$118

$18.32 ฿616

-63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.86 ฿62.7

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MX$46.12

$2.68 ฿90.2

-1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.84

$1.41 ฿47.49

-48.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 MX$73.8

$3.11 ฿105

35.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$27.31

$1.04 ฿35.08

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$149

$14.11 ฿475

-39.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.22

$1.31 ฿44.13

0.76%

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

$21.5K MX$377.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-22.62%

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

$22.9K MX$401.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-31.16%

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

$38.62 MX$677

$122 ฿4,120

-68.46%

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

$22.48 MX$394

$13.59 ฿457

65.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 MX$368

$18.70 ฿629

12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.38 MX$322

$60.5 ฿2,035

-69.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.97 MX$228

$16.98 ฿572

-23.62%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MX$65.6

$9.07 ฿305

-58.77%

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

$156 MX$2,732

$706 ฿23.8K

-77.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,663 MX$64.2K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-76.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MX$1,106

$58.6 ฿1,970

7.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 MX$756

$35.36 ฿1,190

21.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,893

$115 ฿3,885

-6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MX$1,389

$83.7 ฿2,818

-5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 MX$8,691

$626 ฿21.1K

-20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 MX$4,146

$445 ฿15.0K

-46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 MX$16.2K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 MX$4,357

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-83.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 MX$8,393

$500 ฿16.8K

-4.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.33

115.76%

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

Last update for Acapulco: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Acapulco versus $626 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Acapulco versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $289 – making Acapulco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Acapulco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 28% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Acapulco and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $974 in Acapulco and $1,250 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $156 per month in Acapulco and $706 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $974 versus $1,250 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.