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: $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$13.29 MX$230

-65.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,500

$53.8 MX$931

-12.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$9.29 MX$161

-6.35%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$3.61 MX$62.5

-19.11%

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

$0.68 ฿21.90

$1.56 MX$26.97

-56.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.69

$1.12 MX$19.42

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.3

$3.13 MX$54.1

-19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$4.71 MX$81.5

-19.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.70 MX$29.48

27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$2.77 MX$47.92

-32.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.1

$1.96 MX$33.97

10.20%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.1

$2.60 MX$45.11

-14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$9.94 MX$172

96.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$8.10 MX$140

-53.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$11.50 MX$199

16.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$2.87 MX$49.72

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.6

$1.73 MX$30.00

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿73.9

$2.00 MX$34.65

15.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿65.9

$2.04 MX$35.30

0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$2.08 MX$36.06

-22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.23

$2.20 MX$38.03

-34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.99

$1.45 MX$25.18

-28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.38

$1.07 MX$18.59

-55.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$4.27 MX$74.0

5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿614

$14.32 MX$248

33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.76 MX$30.55

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$3.70 MX$64.1

-27.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.13

$0.35 MX$6.11

294.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$19.19 MX$332

-38.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.5

$1.34 MX$23.13

132.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.16

$0.28 MX$4.82

257.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿440

$5.33 MX$92.4

157.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.58

$1.34 MX$23.22

-2.99%

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

$27.4K ฿876.5K

$19.1K MX$331.2K

43.04%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$23.9K MX$413.6K

38.27%

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

$125 ฿4,001

$39.86 MX$690

213.30%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$26.78 MX$464

-48.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿596

$29.36 MX$509

-36.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,940

$53.4 MX$925

13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

$26.09 MX$452

-34.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$6.40 MX$111

40.78%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$440 MX$7,629

58.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.2K

$10.8K MX$186.2K

49.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,897

$57.6 MX$998

2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,117

$45.02 MX$780

-22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,659

$104 MX$1,797

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,749

$108 MX$1,870

-20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$1,013 MX$17.5K

-38.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$630 MX$10.9K

-30.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$2,162 MX$37.4K

-4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$1,222 MX$21.2K

23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

$3,793 MX$65.7K

-0.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

$2,332 MX$40.4K

15.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$1,075 MX$18.6K

-50.83%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 103% 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: $47 in Phuket vs $54 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $285, 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,247 vs $1,484 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 103% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,013 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,484 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.