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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,060 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,774 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,488 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Cuernavaca 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.63 MX$148

-48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$41.25 MX$708

-21.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.65 MX$131

16.73%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.56 MX$43.96

13.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.42 MX$24.34

-38.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.70 MX$12.07

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.55 MX$43.81

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.48 MX$59.8

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.75 MX$30.01

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$2.50 MX$42.93

-41.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.55 MX$26.55

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.04 MX$34.97

2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$8.62 MX$148

127.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.33 MX$91.5

-35.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$14.35 MX$246

-20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.39 MX$41.01

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.43 MX$24.53

17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.27 MX$39.01

-2.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.72 MX$29.47

25.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.91 MX$32.74

-20.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.87 MX$32.15

-28.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.63 MX$27.96

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.97 MX$16.63

-43.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.75 MX$81.6

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.89 MX$153

114.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.31 MX$22.53

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.53 MX$60.6

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.57 MX$9.75

291.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$28.76 MX$494

-20.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.07 MX$35.49

46.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.76 MX$47.37

-63.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$11.90 MX$204

-67.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.43 MX$24.57

4.20%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$22.5K MX$385.7K

18.30%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$25.5K MX$436.9K

6.20%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$65.1 MX$1,118

57.33%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$19.87 MX$341

-42.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$26.23 MX$450

-33.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$27.37 MX$470

90.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.92 MX$102

29.90%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$237 MX$4,075

136.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,401 MX$92.7K

113.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$44.23 MX$759

42.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$35.27 MX$605

-16.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$99.3 MX$1,705

-1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$105 MX$1,807

-15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$422 MX$7,239

75.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$349 MX$5,988

38.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$992 MX$17.0K

112.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$866 MX$14.9K

41.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$943 MX$16.2K

283.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$631 MX$10.8K

312.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$702 MX$12.0K

-29.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.4

-51.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $422 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $250, with Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $422 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $41.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Cuernavaca versus $1,232 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.