Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuernavaca Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuernavaca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $992 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,680 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,369 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cuernavaca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$9.73 MX$169

-53.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$36.83 MX$639

26.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$6.75 MX$117

25.78%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.35 MX$40.76

31.06%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.30 MX$22.60

-47.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.78 MX$13.50

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.20 MX$38.25

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.21 MX$55.7

13.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.56 MX$27.01

40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.77 MX$30.74

2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.34 MX$23.29

66.42%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.89 MX$32.76

18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$8.39 MX$146

133.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.48 MX$112

-42.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$12.81 MX$222

5.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.15 MX$37.34

56.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.27 MX$22.05

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.71 MX$29.73

40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.56 MX$27.00

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.74 MX$30.11

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.83 MX$31.84

-20.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.92 MX$16.01

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.77 MX$13.41

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.28 MX$74.2

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$8.46 MX$147

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.16 MX$20.09

58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.93 MX$50.8

-6.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.51 MX$8.93

178.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$26.82 MX$465

-56.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.83 MX$31.78

63.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.20 MX$20.87

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$9.09 MX$158

52.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.22 MX$21.21

5.74%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$18.4K MX$318.6K

52.71%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.2K MX$349.8K

66.21%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$60.9 MX$1,057

100.23%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$23.10 MX$401

-39.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$27.75 MX$482

-32.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$22.65 MX$393

170.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$15.73 MX$273

7.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$5.26 MX$91.4

69.01%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$209 MX$3,626

230.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$4,905 MX$85.1K

229.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$46.54 MX$808

24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$40.25 MX$699

-12.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$101 MX$1,754

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$83.6 MX$1,451

-0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$382 MX$6,637

58.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$312 MX$5,415

43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$929 MX$16.1K

118.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$776 MX$13.5K

92.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$923 MX$16.0K

288.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$635 MX$11.0K

306.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$684 MX$11.9K

-26.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.33

-52.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $382 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $226 per month, with Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Cuernavaca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $382 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $992 in Cuernavaca versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.