Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Morelia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Morelia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $944 in Morelia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,501 in Morelia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,059 in Morelia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than Morelia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Morelia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$7.26 MX$126

-35.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$31.62 MX$548

46.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.18 MX$107

40.45%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.22 MX$55.8

-8.39%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.89 MX$15.42

-21.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.16 MX$20.15

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.06 MX$35.69

22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.76 MX$65.1

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.66 MX$28.73

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$2.67 MX$46.33

-32.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.61 MX$27.88

36.02%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.50 MX$43.29

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.23 MX$125

167.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$8.13 MX$141

-53.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$11.16 MX$193

18.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.97 MX$51.5

12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.43 MX$24.86

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.39 MX$24.03

64.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.00 MX$34.60

-0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$2.04 MX$35.38

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$2.19 MX$38.01

-31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.17 MX$20.22

-11.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.08 MX$18.69

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.98 MX$51.6

47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$11.63 MX$202

66.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.55 MX$26.79

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.09 MX$36.23

28.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.55 MX$9.47

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$23.33 MX$404

-49.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.36 MX$23.64

123.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.54 MX$26.73

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$5.15 MX$89.3

165.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.32 MX$22.83

-1.52%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$13.2K MX$228.0K

112.05%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$16.2K MX$279.9K

104.55%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$40.62 MX$704

202.73%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$20.53 MX$356

-32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$28.22 MX$489

-33.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$52.3 MX$906

16.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$14.48 MX$251

16.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.16 MX$72.1

113.22%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$183 MX$3,165

281.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$3,136 MX$54.3K

412.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$43.46 MX$753

36.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$30.28 MX$525

15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$81.9 MX$1,420

38.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$105 MX$1,812

-18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$329 MX$5,710

86.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$229 MX$3,966

95.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,013 MX$17.6K

105.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$485 MX$8,399

208.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,702 MX$29.5K

119.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$679 MX$11.8K

291.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$714 MX$12.4K

-25.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.25

-52.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Morelia: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $329 in Morelia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Morelia pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $32 in Morelia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $258 per month, with Morelia 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 Morelia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Morelia differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $944 including rent). Morelia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Morelia earns 34% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $329 in Morelia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Morelia runs roughly 99% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $183 in Morelia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $944 in Morelia versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Morelia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Morelia 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 Morelia 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 Morelia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.