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: $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Cuernavaca versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,562 in Cuernavaca versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 22% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.69 MX$147

$4.66 ฿154

86.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.14 MX$698

$32.22 ฿1,065

27.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 MX$127

$8.68 ฿287

-13.59%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MX$45.36

$2.90 ฿95.8

-7.93%

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

$1.43 MX$24.22

$0.84 ฿27.89

70.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.53

$0.49 ฿16.16

38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$45.66

$2.48 ฿82.0

8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$59.6

$3.73 ฿123

-5.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.35

$1.89 ฿62.3

-2.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 MX$42.03

$1.41 ฿46.54

75.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.41

$1.62 ฿53.6

-3.70%

Eggs

$2.18 MX$37.00

$2.24 ฿74.1

-2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 MX$146

$19.84 ฿656

-56.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MX$87.8

$3.48 ฿115

48.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 MX$245

$11.37 ฿376

27.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.17

$2.90 ฿95.8

-16.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$24.64

$1.72 ฿57.0

-15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.27

$2.27 ฿75.1

7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.42

$2.13 ฿70.4

-15.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.59

$1.47 ฿48.72

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.77

$1.42 ฿46.92

31.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.66

$1.10 ฿36.25

48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.37

$0.60 ฿19.76

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$4.31 ฿142

11.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 MX$154

$18.60 ฿615

-51.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.68

$1.80 ฿59.5

-25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$59.4

$2.97 ฿98.0

17.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$2.25 ฿74.2

-75.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 MX$506

$23.49 ฿776

26.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 MX$35.85

$3.10 ฿102

-31.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$1.08 ฿35.56

156.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$3.87 ฿128

200.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$24.73

$1.43 ฿47.16

2.10%

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

$22.6K MX$383.5K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-18.65%

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

$25.4K MX$431.3K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.78%

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

$64.4 MX$1,092

$105 ฿3,462

-38.58%

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

$19.57 MX$332

$11.39 ฿376

71.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 MX$466

$17.54 ฿580

56.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 MX$481

$54.3 ฿1,795

-47.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 MX$102

$7.78 ฿257

-22.62%

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

$234 MX$3,966

$576 ฿19.0K

-59.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,418 MX$91.9K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-53.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 MX$741

$63.6 ฿2,103

-31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.87 MX$592

$29.10 ฿961

19.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,717

$96.2 ฿3,179

5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,768

$90.0 ฿2,974

15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,136

$733 ฿24.2K

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MX$6,012

$501 ฿16.5K

-29.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$17.1K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-52.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MX$14.6K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-31.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$957 MX$16.2K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-72.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 MX$11.1K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-75.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MX$12.0K

$508 ฿16.8K

39.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

5.57

104.67%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Cuernavaca and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Cuernavaca vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $275, with Cuernavaca cheaper for home cooking.

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, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Cuernavaca, 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: $421 in Cuernavaca versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $41.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,265 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.