Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Irapuato Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Irapuato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Irapuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,867 in Irapuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,588 in Irapuato.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.59 MX$203

-60.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$53.9 MX$944

-14.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$10.03 MX$176

-11.86%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.00 MX$52.6

2.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.28 MX$22.50

-42.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.88 MX$15.50

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.71 MX$47.54

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.48 MX$78.6

-15.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.59 MX$27.96

42.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.27 MX$39.79

-20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.50 MX$26.32

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.03 MX$35.67

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.32 MX$164

109.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.80 MX$154

-58.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.88 MX$191

19.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.79 MX$48.93

15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.59 MX$27.89

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.79 MX$31.44

32.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.86 MX$32.58

9.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.10 MX$36.84

-27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.14 MX$37.48

-29.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.28 MX$22.38

-23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.98 MX$17.19

-46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.95 MX$69.3

12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$17.02 MX$299

7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.66 MX$29.20

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.47 MX$60.9

-22.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.63 MX$10.97

123.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.77 MX$13.46

303.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.28 MX$4.85

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.88 MX$156

58.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.24 MX$21.82

5.65%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$13.6K MX$238.1K

104.87%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.3K MX$390.5K

49.21%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$45.74 MX$802

167.69%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.53 MX$483

-50.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$30.95 MX$543

-39.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$35.27 MX$619

71.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$16.12 MX$283

5.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.70 MX$82.4

92.98%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$221 MX$3,868

220.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$3,429 MX$60.1K

360.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$57.3 MX$1,004

2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$42.34 MX$743

-16.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$101 MX$1,769

14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$73.0 MX$1,280

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$506 MX$8,881

23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$398 MX$6,986

11.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$939 MX$16.5K

117.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$768 MX$13.5K

94.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,889 MX$33.1K

84.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,371 MX$24.0K

87.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$355 MX$6,225

40.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.5

-53.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Irapuato: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $506 in Irapuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $54.0 in Irapuato. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $274, with Irapuato 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 Irapuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Irapuato differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,146 including rent). Irapuato is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $506 in Irapuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $1,146 in Irapuato – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,146 in Irapuato versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Irapuato but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Irapuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Irapuato 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 Irapuato 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.