Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merida and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,336 in Merida, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Merida

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,336

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,336 per month in Merida vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Merida $1,336
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,145 per month in Merida vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Merida $2,145
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,955 per month in Merida vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Merida $2,955
Phuket $2,867

Merida costs about 11% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Merida and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Merida 1% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 MX$254

$4.58 ฿153

200.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 MX$1,010

$32.48 ฿1,086

68.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$148

$8.55 ฿286

-6.32%

Cappuccino

$3.86 MX$71.4

$2.72 ฿91.0

41.91%

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

$1.13 MX$20.90

$0.94 ฿31.25

20.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.60

$0.49 ฿16.39

138.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MX$55.0

$2.59 ฿86.6

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 MX$70.9

$3.83 ฿128

0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$30.24

$1.74 ฿58.1

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$49.02

$1.43 ฿47.82

85.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.32

$1.53 ฿51.0

17.65%

Eggs

$1.95 MX$36.08

$2.17 ฿72.7

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MX$192

$19.15 ฿640

-45.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 MX$140

$3.30 ฿110

129.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 MX$228

$11.14 ฿372

10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$52.2

$2.95 ฿98.5

-4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$25.68

$1.68 ฿56.1

-17.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MX$39.03

$2.30 ฿76.8

-8.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.13 ฿71.3

-3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.70

$1.53 ฿51.1

43.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$33.98

$1.36 ฿45.55

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.41

$1.12 ฿37.44

32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.77

$0.55 ฿18.24

114.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$82.6

$4.26 ฿142

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 MX$200

$18.19 ฿608

-40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$27.71

$1.74 ฿58.2

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$45.96

$2.79 ฿93.3

-10.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.72

$2.22 ฿74.1

-68.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.37 MX$358

$22.06 ฿737

-12.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$49.24

$2.91 ฿97.3

-8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 MX$69.5

$1.01 ฿33.79

272.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 MX$163

$3.83 ฿128

130.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.84

$1.49 ฿49.85

4.70%

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

$21.3K MX$393.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-20.27%

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

$23.9K MX$441.6K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-10.54%

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

$115 MX$2,133

$99.4 ฿3,321

16.18%

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

$21.17 MX$391

$11.28 ฿377

87.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.17 MX$631

$17.36 ฿580

96.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.22 MX$540

$52.3 ฿1,747

-44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.10 MX$224

$10.85 ฿362

11.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 MX$140

$7.57 ฿253

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

$257 MX$4,744

$558 ฿18.7K

-54.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,594 MX$66.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-68.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 MX$998

$62.9 ฿2,102

-14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 MX$983

$28.58 ฿955

86.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,902

$96.1 ฿3,213

7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 MX$1,547

$88.1 ฿2,943

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$11.4K

$729 ฿24.4K

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MX$8,551

$460 ฿15.4K

0.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-39.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 MX$17.6K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-21.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,230 MX$41.2K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-35.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 MX$22.6K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-50.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 MX$11.0K

$493 ฿16.5K

20.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

5.57

108.98%

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

Last update for Merida: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Merida

$463 34.7%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 0.6% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Merida

$270 20.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 0.8% $2.3

Eating Out

Merida

$212 15.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 42.8% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merida

$171 12.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 25% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Merida

$132 9.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 6.2% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Merida

$44 3.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 51.9% $23

Getting Around

Merida

$44 3.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 10.8% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $617 in Merida versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Merida, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Merida versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Merida

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

13 h ahead of Merida

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Merida Phuket 16,690 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Merida
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

Merida vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Merida is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,003 per month in Merida and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $257 per month in Merida and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Merida, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Merida at $1,336. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Merida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Merida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.