Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cuajimalpa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,141
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Cuajimalpa $1,141
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Cuajimalpa $1,827
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Cuajimalpa $2,514
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuajimalpa 16% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.81 MX$200
$4.40 ฿147
145.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.13 MX$797
$32.26 ฿1,078
33.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.35 MX$154
$8.76 ฿293
-4.68%
Cappuccino
$3.60 MX$66.6
$2.83 ฿94.5
27.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 MX$25.87
$0.90 ฿30.14
55.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 MX$19.50
$0.47 ฿15.56
125.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.52 MX$46.60
$2.55 ฿85.2
-1.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 MX$73.2
$3.83 ฿128
3.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 MX$29.16
$1.73 ฿57.7
-8.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 MX$48.81
$1.47 ฿49.11
79.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 MX$31.34
$1.51 ฿50.6
12.58%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.39
$2.17 ฿72.7
13.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.08 MX$149
$19.70 ฿658
-58.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.10 MX$150
$3.34 ฿112
142.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.30 MX$209
$11.16 ฿373
1.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 MX$51.5
$2.85 ฿95.1
-2.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 MX$27.83
$1.70 ฿56.9
-11.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.44
$2.19 ฿73.3
-15.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 MX$33.42
$2.05 ฿68.4
-11.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.89
$1.45 ฿48.57
37.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 MX$35.21
$1.38 ฿46.16
38.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.42
$1.07 ฿35.69
33.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 MX$20.79
$0.51 ฿16.91
119.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44 MX$82.1
$4.26 ฿142
4.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 MX$194
$18.58 ฿621
-43.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 MX$33.13
$1.78 ฿59.7
0.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 MX$58.8
$2.85 ฿95.2
11.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 MX$12.73
$2.26 ฿75.6
-69.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.10 ฿738
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.62 MX$48.32
$3.01 ฿101
-12.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 MX$37.15
$1.06 ฿35.34
89.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 MX$202
$3.86 ฿129
182.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.64
$1.45 ฿48.45
-0.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K MX$386.5K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
-20.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$448.9K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
-9.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.5 MX$1,063
$96.4 ฿3,221
-40.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.78 MX$421
$11.04 ฿369
106.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.83 MX$551
$17.14 ฿573
74.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.34 MX$635
$52.2 ฿1,744
-34.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.21 MX$373
$11.16 ฿373
81.09%
Cinema Ticket
$5.31 MX$98.1
$7.81 ฿261
-32.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$223 MX$4,122
$556 ฿18.6K
-59.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,649 MX$85.9K
$11.6K ฿387.0K
-59.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 MX$1,008
$64.2 ฿2,146
-15.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.13 MX$760
$28.69 ฿959
43.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 MX$1,863
$95.4 ฿3,187
5.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,636
$88.0 ฿2,940
0.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$600 MX$11.1K
$737 ฿24.6K
-18.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 MX$7,290
$462 ฿15.5K
-14.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 MX$18.9K
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-51.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$764 MX$14.1K
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-36.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,905 MX$35.2K
$3,488 ฿116.6K
-45.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,154 MX$21.3K
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-54.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuajimalpa
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$501 ฿16.7K
-
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 Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuajimalpa
$395
Phuket
$462 17.2% $68
Groceries & Markets
Cuajimalpa
$262
Phuket
$269 2.4% $6.4
Eating Out
Cuajimalpa
$185
Phuket
$121 34.5% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Cuajimalpa
$128
Phuket
$124 3.1% $3.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuajimalpa
$110
Phuket
$125 13.1% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Cuajimalpa
$45
Phuket
$68 50.8% $23
Getting Around
Cuajimalpa
$15 *
Phuket
$39 156% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Cuajimalpa and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $269, with Cuajimalpa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
21:59 9:59 PM
10:59 10:59 AM
13 h ahead of Cuajimalpa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
217,686
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuajimalpa Phuket 16,420 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuajimalpa
  • 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
Cuajimalpa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Cuajimalpa?
Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,711 in Cuajimalpa and $1,813 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.
What is the rent difference between Cuajimalpa and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Cuajimalpa versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $223 in Cuajimalpa versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Cuajimalpa or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cuajimalpa or in Phuket?
At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cuajimalpa or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Cuajimalpa 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.
Which city is safer, Cuajimalpa or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Cuajimalpa 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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