Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuajimalpa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuajimalpa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,086 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,742 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,398 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cuajimalpa 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$10.48 MX$184

-56.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,567

$38.95 MX$682

19.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$7.81 MX$137

10.76%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.20 MX$56.1

-3.44%

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

$0.68 ฿22.93

$1.27 MX$22.30

-46.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.46

$0.92 MX$16.03

-59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.35 MX$41.19

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$3.92 MX$68.6

-2.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.6

$1.50 MX$26.30

45.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.55 MX$44.71

-28.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.6

$1.58 MX$27.65

37.97%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.37 MX$41.43

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿674

$8.07 MX$141

146.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$7.85 MX$137

-53.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿459

$10.38 MX$182

30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.65 MX$46.43

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.45 MX$25.39

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.9

$1.76 MX$30.90

32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.5

$1.61 MX$28.12

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$1.93 MX$33.83

-17.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$2.01 MX$35.14

-25.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.23

$1.26 MX$22.04

-19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.12

$0.98 MX$17.19

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.20 MX$73.6

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿630

$10.79 MX$189

72.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.4

$1.60 MX$28.00

11.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.5

$2.85 MX$49.92

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.99

$0.66 MX$11.49

115.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿383

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿105

$2.62 MX$45.86

17.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.25

$1.54 MX$26.93

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿461

$8.44 MX$148

61.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.31

$1.32 MX$23.12

-0.76%

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

$27.3K ฿922.3K

$21.4K MX$374.0K

27.73%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.3K MX$391.3K

48.68%

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

$123 ฿4,164

$57.0 MX$998

116.07%

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

$13.81 ฿467

$21.90 MX$384

-36.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿626

$27.71 MX$485

-33.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,041

$36.41 MX$638

65.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿568

$15.91 MX$279

5.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿301

$4.56 MX$79.8

94.96%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$210 MX$3,677

227.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿525.7K

$3,556 MX$62.3K

337.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,949

$53.7 MX$940

7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,172

$39.35 MX$689

-11.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$91.3 MX$1,598

25.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,871

$79.8 MX$1,398

6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.9K

$502 MX$8,791

23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$396 MX$6,931

11.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.2K

$945 MX$16.5K

116.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.9K

$760 MX$13.3K

98.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.6K

$2,048 MX$35.9K

74.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.9K

$1,308 MX$22.9K

91.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $502 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $250 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,628 in Cuajimalpa 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $502 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $210 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,086 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.