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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,978 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,738 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Cuajimalpa 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$11.56 MX$195

-60.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$47.40 MX$800

-31.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.86 MX$150

0.45%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.3

$3.87 MX$65.3

-27.65%

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

$0.88 ฿28.96

$1.45 MX$24.49

-39.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.09

$1.09 MX$18.48

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.6

$2.91 MX$49.19

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.36 MX$73.5

-14.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.70 MX$28.66

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.43

$2.87 MX$48.47

-49.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.74 MX$29.40

-9.20%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.0

$2.55 MX$43.00

-16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$9.07 MX$153

119.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$8.74 MX$148

-60.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿373

$12.60 MX$213

-10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.98 MX$50.3

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.69 MX$28.54

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.99 MX$33.53

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$1.96 MX$33.04

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.37

$2.09 MX$35.32

-29.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.91 MX$32.29

-28.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.15

$1.53 MX$25.83

-28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.90

$1.20 MX$20.25

-52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.34 MX$90.2

-20.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$11.59 MX$196

58.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.6

$1.94 MX$32.71

-3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$3.29 MX$55.6

-11.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.75 MX$12.62

196.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.57 MX$43.40

17.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.34

$1.94 MX$32.72

-44.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$10.18 MX$172

-61.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.09

$1.53 MX$25.79

-2.61%

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

$27.1K ฿892.5K

$23.0K MX$388.6K

17.86%

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

$27.5K ฿903.2K

$27.8K MX$469.0K

-1.17%

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

$103 ฿3,382

$67.2 MX$1,134

53.04%

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

$10.99 ฿362

$24.55 MX$414

-55.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$35.69 MX$603

-50.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,761

$40.66 MX$687

31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$20.12 MX$340

-44.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.80 MX$81.0

55.83%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$239 MX$4,042

132.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿390.0K

$5,487 MX$92.6K

116.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,108

$50.7 MX$855

26.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿957

$38.64 MX$652

-24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,157

$114 MX$1,925

-15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,972

$101 MX$1,708

-10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$660 MX$11.1K

10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$430 MX$7,264

16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.8K

$988 MX$16.7K

111.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$943 MX$15.9K

28.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.3K

$1,684 MX$28.4K

113.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.7K

$1,234 MX$20.8K

103.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $284 per month, with Phuket 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 Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,828 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: $730 in Phuket versus $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $239 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 $47.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,253 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.