Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Acapulco

For one person, living is cheaper in Acapulco: $859 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Acapulco
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Acapulco Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Acapulco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Acapulco

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Acapulco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $859 in Acapulco, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Acapulco $859

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,435 in Acapulco, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Acapulco $1,435

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,012 in Acapulco, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Acapulco $2,012

Phuket costs about 41% more than Acapulco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Acapulco are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Acapulco 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$9.48 MX$175

-51.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$37.64 MX$696

-13.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$11.97 MX$221

-28.57%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.76 MX$69.5

-27.66%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.63 MX$30.10

-42.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.66 MX$30.65

-70.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.00 MX$55.4

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.79 MX$88.4

-20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.59 MX$29.36

9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.89 MX$53.5

-50.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.68 MX$31.11

-8.93%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.79 MX$33.06

21.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$6.64 MX$123

188.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$8.04 MX$149

-58.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.78 MX$199

3.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.58 MX$84.7

-35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.65 MX$30.46

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.38 MX$62.5

-31.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.13 MX$57.9

-31.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$3.47 MX$64.2

-55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.96 MX$54.7

-54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.31 MX$24.12

-14.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.78 MX$14.46

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.16 MX$151

-47.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$6.66 MX$123

173.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.12 MX$20.74

55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.70 MX$49.94

3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.88 MX$16.27

152.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$4.85 MX$89.6

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.47 MX$27.16

1.36%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$21.1K MX$389.7K

26.50%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$24.8K MX$458.4K

7.69%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$39.89 MX$737

149.11%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$14.81 MX$274

-23.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$21.72 MX$401

-20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$19.02 MX$351

174.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$13.85 MX$256

-21.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$3.87 MX$71.6

95.61%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$162 MX$2,994

244.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$64.4 MX$1,191

-2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$44.58 MX$824

-35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$107 MX$1,985

-10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$83.2 MX$1,538

5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$519 MX$9,593

40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$150 MX$2,763

207.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$956 MX$17.7K

119.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$331 MX$6,118

269.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$449 MX$8,293

9.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.6

-51.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Acapulco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Acapulco

$150 17.4% 67.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Acapulco

$269 31.3% 0.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Acapulco

$76 8.9% 40.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Acapulco

$135 15.7% 8.7% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Acapulco

$195 22.7% 60.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Acapulco

$27 3.1% 60.3% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Acapulco

$8.4 * 1% 78.5% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $519 in Acapulco. 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 10% higher in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $38.00 in Acapulco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Acapulco

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

16:36 4:36 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

658,609

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Acapulco 16,610 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Acapulco

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

Phuket vs Acapulco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 41% more than Acapulco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,288 in Acapulco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $859 in Acapulco. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $162 in Acapulco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $859 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Acapulco. 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.