Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,849 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,556 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Aguascalientes 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.34 MX$230

-66.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$47.33 MX$816

-31.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.74 MX$134

15.37%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.90 MX$67.3

-25.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.78 MX$30.77

-50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.31 MX$22.55

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.35 MX$40.57

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.45 MX$59.5

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.60 MX$27.65

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.29 MX$39.52

-35.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.59 MX$27.36

-2.52%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.68 MX$46.13

-21.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.59 MX$148

128.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.00 MX$155

-62.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.23 MX$211

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.40 MX$41.46

24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.36 MX$23.42

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.62 MX$27.99

36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.87 MX$32.19

15.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.71 MX$29.52

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.47 MX$25.38

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.07 MX$18.43

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.94 MX$16.13

-41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.81 MX$82.9

-11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.50 MX$164

100.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.93 MX$33.21

-7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.75 MX$64.6

-25.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.66 MX$11.42

237.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$25.94 MX$447

-12.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.35 MX$23.25

124.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.23 MX$21.21

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$11.52 MX$199

-66.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.53 MX$26.34

-2.61%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.4K MX$386.9K

18.45%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.1K MX$450.2K

3.53%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$59.2 MX$1,020

73.18%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$25.96 MX$448

-56.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$26.07 MX$450

-33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$33.61 MX$579

54.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$23.51 MX$405

-52.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.50 MX$94.8

39.82%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$229 MX$3,940

145.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,124 MX$53.9K

268.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$58.2 MX$1,003

8.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$41.17 MX$710

-28.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$108 MX$1,858

-9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$76.4 MX$1,317

15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$544 MX$9,375

35.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$369 MX$6,354

30.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$854 MX$14.7K

146.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$695 MX$12.0K

76.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,227 MX$21.1K

194.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,266 MX$21.8K

105.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$914 MX$15.8K

-46.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.2

-50.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $544 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Aguascalientes. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $259, with Aguascalientes 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

Phuket vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Aguascalientes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $544 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $229 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,143 in Aguascalientes versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes 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, Phuket and Aguascalientes 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.