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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,089 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,734 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,379 in Cuajimalpa.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$10.47 MX$183

-55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$38.89 MX$679

16.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$8.10 MX$142

4.07%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$3.32 MX$58.1

-11.75%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$1.29 MX$22.61

-46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.93 MX$16.23

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.37 MX$41.36

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.96 MX$69.1

-6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$1.47 MX$25.71

51.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$2.61 MX$45.50

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.62 MX$28.32

33.95%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$2.41 MX$42.03

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$8.23 MX$144

139.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.85 MX$137

-53.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.43 MX$182

29.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$2.67 MX$46.56

22.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$1.44 MX$25.18

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.80 MX$31.43

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.57 MX$27.49

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.83 MX$31.92

-16.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$2.00 MX$34.99

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$1.20 MX$21.01

-17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$1.01 MX$17.72

-49.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$4.10 MX$71.6

7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.87 MX$190

78.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.63 MX$28.39

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$2.87 MX$50.2

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.65 MX$11.41

110.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$2.65 MX$46.20

13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.54 MX$26.98

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$8.11 MX$142

73.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$1.32 MX$22.99

3.03%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$20.9K MX$365.3K

34.82%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.2K MX$387.6K

48.26%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$57.2 MX$998

112.91%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$22.44 MX$392

-39.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$28.34 MX$495

-35.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$36.51 MX$638

64.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$15.67 MX$274

9.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$4.62 MX$80.7

88.10%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$206 MX$3,593

237.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$3,570 MX$62.4K

339.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$51.9 MX$906

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$39.62 MX$692

-12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$90.2 MX$1,575

27.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$79.8 MX$1,393

4.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$510 MX$8,908

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$394 MX$6,882

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$938 MX$16.4K

123.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$761 MX$13.3K

98.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$2,108 MX$36.8K

77.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,377 MX$24.0K

90.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $251 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 $1,898 in Phuket and $1,633 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: $613 in Phuket versus $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $206 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,265 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.