Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,327 in Ajijic, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ajijic outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ajijic

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 Ajijic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,327 in Ajijic, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Ajijic $1,327

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,083 in Ajijic, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Ajijic $2,083

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,840 in Ajijic, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Ajijic $2,840

Phuket is about 4% cheaper than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Ajijic are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Ajijic 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.36 MX$175

-52.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$42.80 MX$798

-24.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.89 MX$128

27.87%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.53 MX$65.9

-19.83%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.58 MX$29.39

-44.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.16 MX$21.60

-57.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.18 MX$40.70

17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.29 MX$61.3

11.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.43 MX$26.63

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.18 MX$40.67

-33.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.09 MX$20.41

37.61%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.25 MX$41.90

-7.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$7.96 MX$148

139.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.19 MX$153

-59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.07 MX$132

54.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.17 MX$40.47

35.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.30 MX$24.31

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.52 MX$28.42

48.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.68 MX$31.26

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.51 MX$28.05

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.39 MX$25.84

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.02 MX$19.03

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.88 MX$16.39

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.43 MX$82.6

-5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.58 MX$160

119.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.50 MX$27.97

21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.30 MX$24.17

118.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.68 MX$12.60

113.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$57.9 MX$1,079

-2.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.24 MX$23.14

143.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$4.23 MX$78.8

-75.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.75 MX$200

-65.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.48 MX$27.51

-0.68%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$24.6K MX$459.4K

8.65%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$23.6K MX$440.7K

12.89%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$55.2 MX$1,030

74.42%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$14.17 MX$264

-20.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$24.59 MX$458

-31.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$24.01 MX$448

180.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.27 MX$98.2

103.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.77 MX$88.9

57.23%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$211 MX$3,935

125.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,800 MX$52.2K

302.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$42.69 MX$796

46.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$16.24 MX$303

74.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$66.4 MX$1,238

41.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$69.5 MX$1,296

23.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$844 MX$15.7K

-15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$644 MX$12.0K

-23.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,509 MX$28.1K

27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,248 MX$23.3K

14.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$3,324 MX$62.0K

25.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,782 MX$33.2K

70.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$548 MX$10.2K

-8.28%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ajijic

$644 48.6% 31.2% $153

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ajijic

$218 16.4% 18.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ajijic

$94 7.1% 24.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ajijic

$88 6.6% 28% $34

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ajijic

$166 12.5% 36.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ajijic

$34 2.5% 59.2% $49

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ajijic

$83 6.3% 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $844 in Ajijic. 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 9% higher in Ajijic. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $43 in Ajijic. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $218 in Ajijic – so Ajijic wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

14:47 2:47 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,439

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ajijic 16,090 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ajijic

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 Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,990 in Ajijic. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $844 in Ajijic.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,327 in Ajijic. That makes Phuket about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $211 in Ajijic. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,327 in Ajijic, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,327 in Ajijic. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajijic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.