Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuauhtémoc and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuauhtémoc and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,226 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,936 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuauhtémoc and Phuket have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 MX$201

$4.41 ฿147

165.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.09 MX$808

$32.26 ฿1,073

45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 MX$151

$8.93 ฿297

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$65.4

$2.90 ฿96.3

31.38%

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

$1.40 MX$24.10

$0.88 ฿29.27

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.68

$0.48 ฿16.00

127.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$49.12

$2.35 ฿78.2

21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 MX$74.0

$3.72 ฿124

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.87 ฿62.0

-10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$44.81

$1.47 ฿48.75

77.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.61

$1.55 ฿51.6

3.87%

Eggs

$2.58 MX$44.23

$2.10 ฿69.9

22.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 MX$153

$19.59 ฿651

-54.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 MX$157

$3.42 ฿114

168.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 MX$228

$11.38 ฿378

16.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$45.66

$2.98 ฿99.2

-10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.01

$1.68 ฿56.0

7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.25

$2.21 ฿73.5

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.13

$2.16 ฿71.9

-18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.13

$1.52 ฿50.7

19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.34 ฿44.49

40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.24

$1.13 ฿37.53

35.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.80

$0.55 ฿18.17

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MX$76.2

$4.26 ฿142

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 MX$218

$19.09 ฿635

-33.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$33.78

$1.78 ฿59.2

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 MX$51.1

$2.78 ฿92.5

7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.18

$2.23 ฿74.1

-70.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.19

$3.03 ฿101

-13.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 MX$37.06

$1.02 ฿34.02

111.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.61 MX$182

$3.89 ฿129

172.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$29.80

$1.49 ฿49.57

16.78%

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

$21.4K MX$366.6K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-19.66%

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

$26.9K MX$461.4K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-0.55%

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

$57.9 MX$994

$102 ฿3,407

-43.51%

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

$21.81 MX$374

$11.33 ฿377

92.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.22 MX$467

$17.40 ฿578

56.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 MX$693

$52.1 ฿1,732

-22.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.19 MX$312

$11.07 ฿368

64.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 MX$93.9

$7.69 ฿256

-28.87%

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

$233 MX$3,997

$561 ฿18.6K

-58.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,664 MX$80.0K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-59.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 MX$1,101

$63.0 ฿2,096

1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 MX$685

$29.52 ฿982

35.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,888

$98.0 ฿3,259

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 MX$1,650

$88.5 ฿2,943

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 MX$10.9K

$738 ฿24.5K

-14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 MX$6,233

$482 ฿16.0K

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 MX$19.3K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 MX$13.8K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-34.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 MX$34.9K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-43.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,392 MX$23.9K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-46.52%

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 Cuauhtémoc: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $635 in Cuauhtémoc 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 $47.00 in Cuauhtémoc versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 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

Cuauhtémoc vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,838 per month in Cuauhtémoc 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 Cuauhtémoc, 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 $47.00 in Cuauhtémoc and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $233 per month in Cuauhtémoc and $561 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,226, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – 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 Cuauhtémoc. 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.