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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,199 in Morelia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,900 in Morelia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,601 in Morelia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Morelia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Morelia 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.61 MX$128

-40.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$41.28 MX$697

-20.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.37 MX$108

39.72%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.65 MX$61.7

-23.29%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.26 MX$21.30

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.24 MX$20.89

-60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.92 MX$49.20

-18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.15 MX$70.0

-10.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.92 MX$32.36

-6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.70 MX$45.60

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.80 MX$30.46

-12.22%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.60 MX$43.90

-18.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.45 MX$176

90.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$10.20 MX$172

-66.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.21 MX$206

-7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.98 MX$50.4

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.77 MX$29.93

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.09 MX$35.24

11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.96 MX$33.12

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.08 MX$35.02

-29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.96 MX$33.03

-30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.54 MX$25.91

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.19 MX$20.11

-52.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.05 MX$68.3

5.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$11.29 MX$191

63.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.95 MX$32.99

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$3.59 MX$60.6

-18.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.67 MX$11.33

231.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$26.06 MX$440

-12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.50 MX$25.31

102.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.16 MX$19.64

-7.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.05 MX$102

-35.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.56 MX$26.28

-4.49%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$22.5K MX$380.1K

20.45%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$25.5K MX$431.1K

7.47%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$53.4 MX$901

92.65%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$23.96 MX$404

-54.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$32.67 MX$551

-46.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$56.3 MX$951

-4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$29.62 MX$500

-62.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.62 MX$78.0

61.90%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$233 MX$3,930

139.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$3,063 MX$51.7K

286.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$60.7 MX$1,025

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$41.41 MX$699

-29.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$116 MX$1,960

-17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$93.9 MX$1,584

-3.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$377 MX$6,366

93.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$374 MX$6,318

33.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$991 MX$16.7K

110.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$756 MX$12.8K

59.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,768 MX$29.8K

103.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$696 MX$11.7K

260.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$699 MX$11.8K

-27.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.53

-47.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Morelia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $377 in Morelia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Morelia pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Morelia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $297 per month, with Phuket 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $1,199 including rent). Morelia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Morelia. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $377 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 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $233 in Morelia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,199 in Morelia versus $1,253 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.