Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,665 in Cuernavaca versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,329 in Cuernavaca versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.41 MX$162

$4.56 ฿149

106.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.50 MX$626

$46.63 ฿1,519

-21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 MX$119

$8.47 ฿276

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$2.25 MX$38.69

$3.03 ฿98.6

-25.74%

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

$1.30 MX$22.25

$0.69 ฿22.45

88.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.34

$0.37 ฿11.92

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$39.66

$2.49 ฿81.0

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.0

$3.66 ฿119

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.54

$2.18 ฿71.0

-28.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.90 ฿62.0

-9.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MX$23.02

$2.20 ฿71.6

-39.09%

Eggs

$1.86 MX$31.98

$2.22 ฿72.4

-16.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$139

$19.99 ฿651

-59.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MX$107

$3.66 ฿119

69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 MX$224

$13.25 ฿432

-1.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.73

$3.23 ฿105

-33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MX$22.86

$1.70 ฿55.3

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.38

$2.39 ฿78.0

-28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.83

$2.08 ฿67.7

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.76

$1.59 ฿51.8

8.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.37

$1.48 ฿48.31

27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MX$16.48

$1.03 ฿33.54

-6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.26

$0.52 ฿16.83

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.5

$4.25 ฿138

-3.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 MX$145

$18.79 ฿612

-54.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.19

$1.76 ฿57.2

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MX$49.53

$2.76 ฿89.8

4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.39

$1.36 ฿44.32

-59.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 MX$451

$11.36 ฿370

131.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$32.35

$3.14 ฿102

-40.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.30

$1.04 ฿33.74

19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.47 MX$162

$13.77 ฿448

-31.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.34 ฿43.79

-5.22%

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

$18.7K MX$320.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-32.45%

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

$20.7K MX$355.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-38.89%

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

$60.5 MX$1,039

$124 ฿4,025

-51.04%

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

$22.55 MX$387

$13.52 ฿440

66.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.25 MX$485

$18.69 ฿609

51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.93 MX$394

$61.8 ฿2,013

-62.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.70 MX$270

$17.25 ฿562

-8.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$93.1

$9.14 ฿298

-40.59%

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

$212 MX$3,634

$703 ฿22.9K

-69.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,925 MX$84.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-68.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.01 MX$824

$59.5 ฿1,937

-19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 MX$678

$35.07 ฿1,142

12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,721

$115 ฿3,754

-13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 MX$1,408

$84.1 ฿2,737

-2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MX$6,529

$619 ฿20.1K

-38.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MX$5,354

$433 ฿14.1K

-27.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 MX$15.4K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-56.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MX$13.3K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-48.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 MX$15.5K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$632 MX$10.8K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-75.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 MX$11.6K

$507 ฿16.5K

33.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

5.33

112.57%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Cuernavaca and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cuernavaca vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $293 per month, with Cuernavaca 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

Cuernavaca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cuernavaca pays 34% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $380 in Cuernavaca versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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.

Safety-wise, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.