Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Acuna vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,937 per month in Acuna vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,656 per month in Acuna vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Acuna is about 1% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Acuna and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Acuna 11% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 MX$170

$4.41 ฿147

124.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.58 MX$782

$32.26 ฿1,073

41.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 MX$154

$8.93 ฿297

0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$60.6

$2.90 ฿96.3

21.72%

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

$1.24 MX$21.37

$0.88 ฿29.27

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.19

$0.48 ฿16.00

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 MX$42.70

$2.35 ฿78.2

5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 MX$71.3

$3.72 ฿124

11.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.87 ฿62.0

-16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 MX$47.42

$1.47 ฿48.75

87.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.87

$1.55 ฿51.6

12.26%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$44.79

$2.10 ฿69.9

24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 MX$169

$19.59 ฿651

-49.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 MX$150

$3.42 ฿114

155.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 MX$234

$11.38 ฿378

19.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MX$44.35

$2.98 ฿99.2

-13.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.60

$1.68 ฿56.0

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.48

$2.21 ฿73.5

-6.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$34.86

$2.16 ฿71.9

-6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.70

$1.52 ฿50.7

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.70

$1.34 ฿44.49

42.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 MX$28.60

$1.13 ฿37.53

47.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.39

$0.55 ฿18.17

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$81.6

$4.26 ฿142

11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 MX$194

$19.09 ฿635

-40.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$29.89

$1.78 ฿59.2

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.4

$2.78 ฿92.5

32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$10.94

$2.23 ฿74.1

-71.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 MX$50.9

$3.03 ฿101

-2.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 MX$34.65

$1.02 ฿34.02

98.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 MX$180

$3.89 ฿129

170.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.42

$1.49 ฿49.57

-4.70%

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

$20.8K MX$357.4K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-21.66%

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

$27.6K MX$473.2K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

2.00%

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

$66.5 MX$1,142

$102 ฿3,407

-35.07%

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

$21.11 MX$362

$11.33 ฿377

86.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$482

$17.40 ฿578

61.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.07 MX$619

$52.1 ฿1,732

-30.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.93 MX$411

$11.07 ฿368

116.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 MX$96.9

$7.69 ฿256

-26.53%

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

$224 MX$3,850

$561 ฿18.6K

-59.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,828 MX$82.9K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-58.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 MX$862

$63.0 ฿2,096

-20.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 MX$877

$29.52 ฿982

73.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 MX$1,669

$98.0 ฿3,259

-0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,594

$88.5 ฿2,943

4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 MX$10.3K

$738 ฿24.5K

-18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,513

$482 ฿16.0K

-9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 MX$21.7K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-39.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 MX$15.9K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-24.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,894 MX$32.5K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-47.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,163 MX$20.0K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-55.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Acuna: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $600 in Acuna versus $738 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Acuna versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $274 – making Phuket 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

Acuna vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,829 per month in Acuna and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Acuna and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $1,219, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Acuna. 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.