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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Aguascalientes 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.18 MX$143

-44.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$34.16 MX$597

35.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.90 MX$121

28.12%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.36 MX$58.7

-8.93%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$1.11 MX$19.49

-34.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.82 MX$14.32

-51.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$1.83 MX$31.99

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.19 MX$55.7

18.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.35 MX$23.55

67.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$2.15 MX$37.55

-15.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.52 MX$26.60

48.03%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$1.95 MX$34.10

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$8.23 MX$144

137.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$7.43 MX$130

-50.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$9.65 MX$169

35.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.26 MX$39.60

42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.92 MX$16.08

76.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$0.89 MX$15.52

167.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$1.45 MX$25.40

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$1.37 MX$24.03

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.94 MX$16.52

59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.93 MX$16.19

5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.82 MX$14.27

-36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.22 MX$73.7

5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$9.37 MX$164

95.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.52 MX$26.57

22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$2.70 MX$47.28

-0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.55 MX$9.67

156.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$22.62 MX$396

-48.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$1.03 MX$17.99

201.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$0.94 MX$16.45

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.25 MX$56.9

334.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.24 MX$21.74

5.65%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

28.82%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.4K MX$409.7K

41.75%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$44.95 MX$786

172.39%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$20.27 MX$354

-32.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$23.48 MX$411

-20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$25.07 MX$438

141.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$21.91 MX$383

-22.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.12 MX$72.1

120.15%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$184 MX$3,219

283.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

506.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$53.1 MX$928

10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$35.73 MX$625

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$84.3 MX$1,473

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$54.9 MX$959

52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$390 MX$6,824

60.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$378 MX$6,605

17.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$586 MX$10.3K

248.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$585 MX$10.2K

154.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$1,199 MX$21.0K

190.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$1,227 MX$21.5K

109.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$907 MX$15.9K

-44.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.24

-52.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $219 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $390 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 93% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $184 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,250 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.