Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $914 in Colima versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Colima versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,062 in Colima versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Colima costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colima 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MX$108

$4.70 ฿153

32.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.19 MX$540

$45.37 ฿1,482

-31.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$139

$8.43 ฿275

-4.98%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MX$36.95

$2.93 ฿95.6

-26.96%

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

$0.81 MX$14.04

$0.69 ฿22.40

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.37 ฿11.99

45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 MX$29.47

$2.41 ฿78.6

-29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$49.18

$3.72 ฿122

-23.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.90

$2.23 ฿72.9

-40.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$43.58

$1.83 ฿59.8

37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MX$22.87

$2.17 ฿70.8

-39.17%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$39.57

$2.21 ฿72.3

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 MX$102

$19.74 ฿645

-70.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 MX$136

$3.63 ฿119

116.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 MX$168

$13.53 ฿442

-28.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.39

$3.28 ฿107

-12.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$23.35

$1.61 ฿52.6

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.72

$2.41 ฿78.6

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.41

$2.08 ฿68.1

6.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.52

$1.53 ฿49.93

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.13

$1.48 ฿48.36

56.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$23.01

$0.99 ฿32.29

34.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.51 ฿16.67

113.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 MX$60.8

$4.41 ฿144

-20.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 MX$117

$19.38 ฿633

-65.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.13

$1.78 ฿58.1

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.52

$2.71 ฿88.6

-28.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.32

$1.37 ฿44.79

-52.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.15 MX$331

$11.39 ฿372

68.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 MX$40.90

$3.02 ฿98.6

-21.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.55

$0.99 ฿32.48

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$146

$14.10 ฿461

-40.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.36 ฿44.51

-2.21%

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

$22.4K MX$387.3K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-20.61%

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

$21.6K MX$372.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-34.48%

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

$62.6 MX$1,082

$122 ฿3,975

-48.59%

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

$19.75 MX$342

$13.57 ฿443

45.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.68 MX$531

$18.31 ฿598

67.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.00 MX$588

$60.2 ฿1,967

-43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 MX$363

$17.14 ฿560

22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MX$79.3

$8.69 ฿284

-47.30%

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

$142 MX$2,449

$693 ฿22.6K

-79.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,404 MX$41.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-84.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.41 MX$803

$59.5 ฿1,944

-22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 MX$488

$34.77 ฿1,136

-18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 MX$1,464

$115 ฿3,743

-26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 MX$1,715

$83.3 ฿2,720

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MX$8,798

$613 ฿20.0K

-17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,274

$437 ฿14.3K

-43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 MX$5,759

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-84.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 MX$9,265

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-64.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$300 MX$5,186

$508 ฿16.6K

-40.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

5.33

107.69%

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

Last update for Colima: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Colima and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 69% 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: $31.00 in Colima vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $293 per month, with Colima 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

Colima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colima and Phuket differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($914 vs $1,265 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 69% less. 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: $509 in Colima versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 68% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $142 in Colima versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Colima versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Colima 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, Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.