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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $994 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,399 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Cuernavaca 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.86 MX$171

-54.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,523

$37.73 MX$654

20.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.00 MX$121

25.14%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.34 MX$40.63

26.92%

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

$0.69 ฿22.93

$1.32 MX$22.83

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.74 MX$12.74

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.27 MX$39.37

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.09 MX$53.6

21.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.7

$1.53 MX$26.57

40.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.78 MX$30.80

2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.38 MX$23.91

57.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$1.81 MX$31.34

24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$8.16 MX$141

145.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.31 MX$109

-42.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$13.15 MX$228

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.11 MX$36.64

53.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.27 MX$22.09

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$1.74 MX$30.09

33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.56 MX$27.09

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.79 MX$31.10

-13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.60

$1.87 MX$32.42

-21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.89

$0.98 MX$16.90

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.72 MX$12.48

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.21 MX$73.0

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.59 MX$149

116.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.14 MX$19.80

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.85 MX$49.46

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.33

$0.55 MX$9.48

158.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$26.91 MX$466

-57.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.87 MX$32.47

69.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.46

$1.20 MX$20.80

-14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$9.38 MX$162

48.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.89

$1.23 MX$21.26

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿928.2K

$18.4K MX$318.0K

51.43%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.8K MX$361.0K

60.21%

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

$123 ฿4,110

$60.4 MX$1,046

103.79%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$22.92 MX$397

-39.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$28.54 MX$494

-35.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,027

$22.81 MX$395

166.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.71 MX$272

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.15 MX$89.2

72.23%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$208 MX$3,602

230.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.0K

$4,854 MX$84.1K

225.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,981

$47.44 MX$822

25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,159

$40.16 MX$696

-13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,847

$97.9 MX$1,696

17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,798

$83.8 MX$1,452

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$371 MX$6,434

67.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$317 MX$5,496

40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$917 MX$15.9K

121.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$791 MX$13.7K

89.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$925 MX$16.0K

273.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$644 MX$11.2K

293.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$681 MX$11.8K

-27.47%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $225 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,264 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.