Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuautla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuautla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,172 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,862 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,552 in Cuautla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Cuautla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cuautla 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.58 MX$166

-50.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$46.16 MX$798

-1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.11 MX$140

3.95%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.71 MX$64.2

-21.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.27 MX$21.91

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.96 MX$16.68

-61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.43 MX$42.01

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.16 MX$71.9

-10.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.59 MX$27.48

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.57 MX$44.40

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.99 MX$34.45

9.05%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.29 MX$39.58

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.49 MX$147

132.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.69 MX$168

-62.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.22 MX$229

2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.55 MX$61.4

-7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.51 MX$26.06

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.85 MX$32.08

30.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.79 MX$31.03

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.74 MX$30.09

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.88 MX$32.59

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.30 MX$22.55

-23.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.10 MX$19.05

-53.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.34 MX$75.1

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$17.53 MX$303

10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.99 MX$34.49

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.32 MX$57.4

-18.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.65 MX$11.25

110.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.15 MX$54.6

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.19 MX$20.65

-16.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$9.40 MX$163

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.22 MX$21.06

11.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.7K MX$341.3K

42.94%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.5K MX$354.9K

60.35%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$63.8 MX$1,103

90.81%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$23.66 MX$409

-42.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.67 MX$479

-33.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.20 MX$626

66.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.98 MX$276

7.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.06 MX$105

43.40%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$321 MX$5,551

116.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,797 MX$83.0K

227.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$49.81 MX$862

19.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$42.84 MX$741

-18.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$100.0 MX$1,729

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$96.2 MX$1,664

-13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$513 MX$8,879

19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$390 MX$6,748

12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$941 MX$16.3K

122.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$755 MX$13.1K

99.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,013 MX$34.8K

86.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,253 MX$21.7K

108.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.55

-53.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $513 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Cuautla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $295 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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,758 in Cuautla 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 $513 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $321 in Cuautla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuautla – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,172 in Cuautla versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautla 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 Cuautla 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 Cuautla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.