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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,150 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,847 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,543 in Cuautla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Cuautla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cuautla 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.42 MX$165

-51.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$45.50 MX$798

1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$7.70 MX$135

14.81%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.65 MX$63.9

-16.16%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.25 MX$21.94

-41.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.96 MX$16.81

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.35 MX$41.22

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.16 MX$73.0

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.61 MX$28.30

40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.58 MX$45.34

-29.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.95 MX$34.27

15.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.33 MX$40.83

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.45 MX$148

130.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$9.44 MX$166

-61.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.88 MX$226

1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.58 MX$62.7

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.45 MX$25.49

11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.95 MX$34.12

22.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.74 MX$30.49

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.79 MX$31.33

-14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.87 MX$32.86

-19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.25 MX$21.85

-21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.15 MX$20.21

-54.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.27 MX$74.9

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$16.92 MX$297

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.00 MX$35.09

-7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.25 MX$57.0

-17.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.65 MX$11.47

116.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.26 MX$57.2

-4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.24 MX$21.76

-16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$9.29 MX$163

51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.21 MX$21.20

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$19.8K MX$347.3K

40.48%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.7K MX$363.7K

60.21%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$63.3 MX$1,109

93.58%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$23.36 MX$410

-41.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.65 MX$503

-34.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$35.41 MX$621

70.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$16.06 MX$282

5.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.81 MX$102

56.11%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$321 MX$5,639

119.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,803 MX$84.2K

229.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$51.5 MX$903

13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$43.08 MX$756

-17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$97.7 MX$1,713

18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$98.5 MX$1,727

-14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$509 MX$8,921

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$389 MX$6,827

14.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$933 MX$16.4K

118.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$749 MX$13.1K

99.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,770 MX$31.0K

96.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,297 MX$22.7K

98.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $509 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Cuautla. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $292, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,726 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: $626 in Phuket versus $509 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 $45.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,150 in Cuautla versus $1,250 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.