Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Atotonilco el Alto

For one person, living is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto: $1,224 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket, Thailand
Atotonilco el Alto, Mexico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Atotonilco el Alto
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,224
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Atotonilco el Alto

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 Atotonilco el Alto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,224 in Atotonilco el Alto.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Atotonilco el Alto $1,224

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,963 in Atotonilco el Alto.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Atotonilco el Alto $1,963

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,703 in Atotonilco el Alto.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Atotonilco el Alto $2,703

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Atotonilco el Alto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Atotonilco el Alto 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$10.57 MX$198
-57.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$63.3 MX$1,189
-48.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.16 MX$172
-3.82%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.68 MX$69.1
-23.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$1.53 MX$28.78
-43.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$1.03 MX$19.29
-52.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$3.15 MX$59.2
-18.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.49 MX$103
-32.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.92 MX$36.12
-13.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$2.64 MX$49.56
-44.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.97 MX$36.92
-23.86%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.70 MX$50.6
-22.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$8.59 MX$161
122.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.92 MX$168
-63.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$13.63 MX$256
-19.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.46 MX$64.9
-15.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.63 MX$30.62
3.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.19 MX$41.07
2.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.92 MX$36.05
8.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.79 MX$33.62
-15.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.80 MX$33.83
-23.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.45 MX$27.18
-26.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.20 MX$22.60
-56.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.46 MX$83.8
-5.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$17.38 MX$326
8.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.09 MX$39.24
-12.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$3.97 MX$74.5
-28.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.63 MX$11.79
130.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$32.79 MX$616
72.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.18 MX$59.7
-5.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$2.64 MX$49.49
-61.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$10.88 MX$204
-66.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.49 MX$28.07
-1.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$24.6K MX$461.4K
8.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$23.2K MX$435.2K
15.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$56.9 MX$1,067
69.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$26.54 MX$498
-57.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$24.36 MX$457
-30.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$30.94 MX$581
117.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$21.94 MX$412
-51.09%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.30 MX$137
2.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$257 MX$4,831
84.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$5,041 MX$94.6K
123.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$52.7 MX$990
18.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$44.51 MX$836
-36.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$100 MX$1,879
-5.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$95.6 MX$1,794
-10.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$519 MX$9,743
37.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$390 MX$7,330
25.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,156 MX$21.7K
66.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$667 MX$12.5K
114.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$1,623 MX$30.5K
157.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,218 MX$22.9K
149.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.99
-53.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Atotonilco el Alto
$390 20.5% $100
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Atotonilco el Alto
$303 13.9% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Atotonilco el Alto
$108 13.4% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Atotonilco el Alto
$132 8.1% $9.9
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Atotonilco el Alto
$193 58.8% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Atotonilco el Alto
$46 44.6% $37
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Atotonilco el Alto
$52 26.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $519 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $63 in Atotonilco el Alto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $303 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇽 Atotonilco el Alto
🕒 Local time
03:06 3:06 AM
14:06 2:06 PM
13 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
26,874
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Atotonilco el Alto 16,110 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Atotonilco el Alto

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 Atotonilco el Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Atotonilco el Alto cheaper than Phuket?
Atotonilco el Alto is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,836 in Atotonilco el Alto 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Atotonilco el Alto?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $519 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $257 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Atotonilco el Alto?
Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or Atotonilco el Alto?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Atotonilco el Alto gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Atotonilco el Alto?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Atotonilco el Alto?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Atotonilco el Alto are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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