Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez: $1,124 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico
Phuket, Thailand
Oaxaca de Juarez
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,124
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,124 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Oaxaca de Juarez $1,124
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,735 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Oaxaca de Juarez $1,735
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,347 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Oaxaca de Juarez $2,347
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.41 MX$120
$4.47 ฿151
43.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.43 MX$609
$32.41 ฿1,093
0.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 MX$148
$8.81 ฿297
-10.56%
Cappuccino
$2.72 MX$51.1
$2.83 ฿95.4
-3.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 MX$26.96
$0.87 ฿29.41
65.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 MX$14.97
$0.49 ฿16.65
63.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 MX$44.68
$2.56 ฿86.3
-7.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 MX$69.8
$3.68 ฿124
1.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 MX$24.44
$1.66 ฿55.9
-21.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.95 MX$55.4
$1.46 ฿49.31
102.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.06 MX$19.81
$1.50 ฿50.5
-29.33%
Eggs
$1.65 MX$31.03
$2.09 ฿70.5
-21.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.46 MX$121
$19.07 ฿643
-66.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.46 MX$102
$3.30 ฿111
65.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.74 MX$202
$10.91 ฿368
-1.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.09 MX$39.28
$2.93 ฿98.9
-28.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 MX$21.80
$1.69 ฿57.0
-31.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 MX$34.63
$2.25 ฿75.8
-18.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.55 MX$10.41
$2.08 ฿70.0
-73.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$37.60
$1.51 ฿51.0
32.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 MX$35.86
$1.38 ฿46.52
38.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 MX$20.02
$1.07 ฿35.96
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 MX$17.05
$0.52 ฿17.51
75.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.13 MX$77.6
$4.20 ฿142
-1.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.29 MX$174
$18.79 ฿634
-50.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 MX$27.00
$1.82 ฿61.5
-20.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 MX$49.42
$2.84 ฿95.8
-7.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.72
$1.45 ฿48.98
-64.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.88 MX$72.8
$3.02 ฿102
28.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.93 MX$36.24
$1.02 ฿34.33
89.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.94 MX$205
$3.69 ฿125
196.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 MX$25.48
$1.47 ฿49.76
-7.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K MX$446.0K
$26.8K ฿903.4K
-11.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$449.1K
$26.7K ฿900.5K
-10.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$59.8 MX$1,123
$96.4 ฿3,251
-37.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.73 MX$201
$11.26 ฿380
-4.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.45 MX$440
$16.85 ฿568
39.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.86 MX$823
$67.2 ฿2,268
-34.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.35 MX$100
$7.50 ฿253
-28.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$419 MX$7,871
$476 ฿16.1K
-11.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.3K MX$362.9K
$11.3K ฿380.0K
71.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 MX$990
$62.4 ฿2,104
-15.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.5 MX$1,136
$28.41 ฿958
113.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 MX$1,877
$94.3 ฿3,181
6.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.7 MX$1,758
$85.8 ฿2,895
9.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$703 MX$13.2K
$716 ฿24.2K
-1.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$470 MX$8,815
$491 ฿16.6K
-4.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 MX$21.9K
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-39.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$871 MX$16.3K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-39.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oaxaca de Juarez
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.96
5.57
96.77%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oaxaca de Juarez
$470
Phuket
$491 4.5% $21
Groceries & Markets
Oaxaca de Juarez
$216
Phuket
$266 23.4% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Oaxaca de Juarez
$138
Phuket
$122 11.7% $16
Eating Out
Oaxaca de Juarez
$136
Phuket
$122 10.4% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oaxaca de Juarez
$94
Phuket
$124 32.4% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Oaxaca de Juarez
$55
Phuket
$82 50.7% $28
Getting Around
Oaxaca de Juarez
$16 *
Phuket
$71 352% $55

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 $703 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $266 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Oaxaca de Juarez
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
07:58 7:58 AM
20:58 8:58 PM
13 h ahead of Oaxaca de Juarez
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
258,913
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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oaxaca de Juarez Phuket 16,780 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oaxaca de Juarez
  • 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
Oaxaca de Juarez vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Oaxaca de Juarez or Phuket?
Oaxaca de Juarez wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Oaxaca de Juarez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Oaxaca de Juarez and in Phuket?
You’d need roughly $1,685 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,917 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Oaxaca de Juarez compared to Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $703 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Oaxaca de Juarez compared to Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $1,124 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,278 in Phuket – Oaxaca de Juarez is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Are groceries more expensive in Oaxaca de Juarez or in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Oaxaca de Juarez or in Phuket?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Oaxaca de Juarez is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Oaxaca de Juarez or Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Oaxaca de Juarez compared to Phuket?
Safety-wise, Oaxaca de Juarez and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Oaxaca de Juarez vs other spots: cost of living compared

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