Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Celaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Celaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,145 in Celaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,820 in Celaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,496 in Celaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Celaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Celaya 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.55 MX$199

-60.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$42.65 MX$734

9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.01 MX$138

5.99%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.88 MX$49.64

6.94%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.17 MX$20.14

-41.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.94 MX$16.10

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.60 MX$44.81

-6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$4.60 MX$79.1

-21.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.65 MX$28.39

32.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.37 MX$40.71

-23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.52 MX$26.10

46.71%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.95 MX$33.58

14.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.43 MX$162

107.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$8.81 MX$152

-57.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.69 MX$184

26.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.95 MX$50.7

13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.59 MX$27.44

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.82 MX$31.35

32.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.94 MX$33.40

2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$2.09 MX$36.01

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.22 MX$38.13

-34.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.33 MX$22.85

-24.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.00 MX$17.16

-52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.96 MX$68.1

7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$17.06 MX$294

12.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.71 MX$29.46

7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.36 MX$57.9

-18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.56 MX$9.65

153.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$26.39 MX$454

-55.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.82 MX$14.15

265.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.60 MX$27.60

-34.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$8.58 MX$148

62.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.25 MX$21.47

3.20%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$26.4K MX$453.8K

6.30%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$21.7K MX$374.1K

54.08%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$46.83 MX$806

160.47%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$21.94 MX$378

-36.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$20.89 MX$359

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$36.21 MX$623

69.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.56 MX$268

8.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.87 MX$83.7

82.55%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$220 MX$3,793

213.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,489 MX$60.0K

363.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$58.5 MX$1,006

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$42.22 MX$726

-16.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$98.5 MX$1,694

15.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$73.6 MX$1,266

12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$513 MX$8,827

18.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$396 MX$6,820

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$918 MX$15.8K

121.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$754 MX$13.0K

97.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$867 MX$14.9K

-41.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.5

-53.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Celaya: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $513 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $277 per month, with Celaya 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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Celaya differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $1,145 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Celaya earns 72% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $513 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,145 in Celaya – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Celaya versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Celaya 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 Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.