Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuauhtémoc Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuauhtémoc

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,095 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,735 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,376 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Phuket costs about 12% more than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Cuauhtémoc are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Cuauhtémoc 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.65 MX$186

-56.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$39.46 MX$691

18.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.77 MX$136

13.77%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.25 MX$56.8

-7.69%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.23 MX$21.46

-39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.96 MX$16.86

-61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.42 MX$42.38

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.92 MX$68.6

-7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.43 MX$24.95

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.52 MX$44.08

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.56 MX$27.28

43.59%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.38 MX$41.69

-2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.13 MX$142

141.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.07 MX$141

-54.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.71 MX$187

22.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.62 MX$45.86

29.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.39 MX$24.26

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.80 MX$31.54

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.65 MX$28.92

23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.89 MX$33.10

-17.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.01 MX$35.23

-25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.26 MX$22.13

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.02 MX$17.91

-51.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.21 MX$73.7

5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.02 MX$193

71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.59 MX$27.87

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.75 MX$48.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.65 MX$11.30

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.55 MX$44.71

22.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.54 MX$27.00

-35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.46 MX$148

66.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.31 MX$22.97

3.05%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.9K MX$365.3K

30.24%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K MX$394.9K

45.89%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$57.0 MX$997

119.30%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.34 MX$391

-39.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$28.44 MX$498

-34.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.92 MX$629

71.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.70 MX$275

7.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.67 MX$81.7

96.79%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$205 MX$3,589

240.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,525 MX$61.7K

342.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$53.8 MX$941

7.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.64 MX$694

-11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$90.1 MX$1,577

25.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$80.6 MX$1,410

7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$518 MX$9,068

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$400 MX$7,002

11.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$926 MX$16.2K

121.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$775 MX$13.6K

92.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,872 MX$32.8K

101.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,420 MX$24.8K

86.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $518 in Cuauhtémoc. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $39.00 in Cuauhtémoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $252 – making Cuauhtémoc 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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,642 in Cuauhtémoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuauhtémoc, 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 $39.00 in Cuauhtémoc. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,095, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cuauhtémoc. 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.