Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$13.18 MX$230

-64.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$53.9 MX$941

-15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$9.42 MX$165

-10.51%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.55 MX$62.0

-17.46%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$1.62 MX$28.25

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$1.11 MX$19.46

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.12 MX$54.5

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.63 MX$80.8

-19.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.70 MX$29.71

31.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$2.72 MX$47.47

-32.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.91 MX$33.39

13.61%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$2.54 MX$44.28

-12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$10.03 MX$175

96.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.09 MX$141

-55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$11.62 MX$203

16.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.97 MX$51.8

10.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.81 MX$31.54

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.01 MX$35.15

19.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$2.03 MX$35.53

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$2.12 MX$37.10

-27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$2.27 MX$39.63

-34.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$1.40 MX$24.45

-29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$1.13 MX$19.74

-54.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.27 MX$74.6

3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$15.56 MX$272

24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$1.76 MX$30.68

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$3.60 MX$62.8

-24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.38 MX$6.69

260.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$19.18 MX$335

-40.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.38 MX$24.02

118.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.28 MX$4.83

253.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$5.45 MX$95.1

158.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.30 MX$22.77

4.62%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$18.7K MX$326.3K

50.92%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.1K MX$403.9K

42.25%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$40.86 MX$714

197.85%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$26.81 MX$468

-49.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$29.96 MX$523

-38.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$52.0 MX$908

15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$26.84 MX$469

-36.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$6.30 MX$110

37.94%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$436 MX$7,616

59.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$10.4K MX$181.9K

50.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$56.7 MX$989

5.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$44.38 MX$775

-21.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$103 MX$1,797

11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$106 MX$1,843

-21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$1,022 MX$17.8K

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$631 MX$11.0K

-30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$2,136 MX$37.3K

-1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$1,243 MX$21.7K

21.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,903 MX$68.2K

-3.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$2,064 MX$36.0K

26.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$1,115 MX$19.5K

-54.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.34

-53.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 119% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $288, with Mexico City 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Mexico City differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,467 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 119% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Mexico City 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.