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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,136 in Celaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,837 in Celaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,537 in Celaya.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Celaya 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.50 MX$201

-59.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$42.27 MX$740

10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.80 MX$136

13.33%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.87 MX$50.2

4.53%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.14 MX$19.98

-35.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.95 MX$16.57

-61.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.63 MX$45.95

-7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.54 MX$79.4

-20.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.66 MX$28.97

36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.29 MX$40.16

-19.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.46 MX$25.59

53.42%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.03 MX$35.50

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.47 MX$166

107.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.69 MX$152

-58.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.94 MX$191

19.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.94 MX$51.5

15.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.59 MX$27.82

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.77 MX$30.91

36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.87 MX$32.66

8.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.18 MX$38.08

-28.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.25 MX$39.45

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.34 MX$23.41

-23.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.00 MX$17.45

-51.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.00 MX$69.9

11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.13 MX$247

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.75 MX$30.63

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.50 MX$61.2

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.60 MX$10.54

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$26.03 MX$456

-55.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.75 MX$13.19

316.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.59 MX$27.89

-37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.83 MX$155

59.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.31 MX$22.96

3.05%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.1K MX$456.3K

4.25%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.8K MX$381.3K

51.11%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$45.46 MX$796

174.92%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.17 MX$388

-38.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$21.03 MX$368

-11.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.14 MX$633

70.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.56 MX$272

8.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.81 MX$84.2

91.06%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$221 MX$3,866

216.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,370 MX$59.0K

362.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.0 MX$1,015

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$42.04 MX$736

-16.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$101 MX$1,764

12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$74.2 MX$1,299

16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$514 MX$8,991

19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$396 MX$6,936

12.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$925 MX$16.2K

121.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$748 MX$13.1K

99.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$848 MX$14.8K

-38.26%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Celaya: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $514 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 62% 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 $42.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $271 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,136 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Celaya earns 62% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $514 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 $42.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,136 in Celaya – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,136 in Celaya versus $1,232 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.