Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cholula Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cholula

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $996 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $1,574 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $2,151 in Cholula, rent included.

Phuket costs about 23% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Cholula are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Cholula 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.99 MX$206

-62.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$46.36 MX$798

0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.09 MX$139

4.94%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.65 MX$62.9

-15.62%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.19 MX$20.52

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.85 MX$14.70

-57.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.41 MX$41.47

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$4.17 MX$71.8

-12.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.50 MX$25.86

46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.58 MX$44.32

-29.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.60 MX$27.61

39.37%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.33 MX$40.14

-3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.08 MX$122

176.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.56 MX$113

-43.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$11.00 MX$189

22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.57 MX$44.18

30.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.36 MX$23.40

19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.69 MX$29.15

42.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.72 MX$29.68

15.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.74 MX$29.92

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.88 MX$32.31

-22.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.22 MX$21.01

-17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.11 MX$19.11

-56.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.31 MX$74.1

-0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$14.50 MX$250

31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.35 MX$23.26

36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.76 MX$47.43

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.65 MX$11.24

118.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$15.95 MX$274

-26.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$3.12 MX$53.7

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.20 MX$20.69

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$10.46 MX$180

32.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.31 MX$22.61

-1.53%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$20.0K MX$343.7K

40.34%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.7K MX$355.4K

62.23%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$62.4 MX$1,074

95.36%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$22.30 MX$384

-37.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$24.75 MX$426

-23.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$36.50 MX$628

67.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.75 MX$271

6.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$5.24 MX$90.2

69.66%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$319 MX$5,489

116.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,542 MX$60.9K

356.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$51.2 MX$880

12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$43.34 MX$746

-18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$111 MX$1,912

2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$98.4 MX$1,694

-15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$365 MX$6,286

66.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$253 MX$4,346

77.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$526 MX$9,044

286.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$379 MX$6,527

293.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,969 MX$33.9K

82.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,242 MX$21.4K

108.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$887 MX$15.3K

-43.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.25

-52.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Cholula: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $365 in Cholula. 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 76% higher in Cholula, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $46.00 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $248 – making Cholula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cholula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 23% more than Cholula, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,835 per month in Phuket and $1,495 in Cholula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cholula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $46.00 in Cholula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,223 in Phuket and $996 in Cholula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cholula, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Phuket at $1,223. In Cholula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $996 versus $1,223 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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