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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $951 in Morelia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,519 in Morelia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,088 in Morelia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Morelia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Morelia 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$7.24 MX$126

-37.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$31.31 MX$545

48.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$6.50 MX$113

33.08%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.33 MX$57.9

-7.21%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$0.89 MX$15.50

-23.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$1.11 MX$19.25

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.07 MX$36.09

16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$3.67 MX$63.9

3.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.65 MX$28.64

32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$2.66 MX$46.23

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.61 MX$28.03

35.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.63 MX$45.69

-14.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$7.18 MX$125

177.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$8.33 MX$145

-56.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$11.30 MX$197

20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.89 MX$50.3

13.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.44 MX$25.13

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$1.40 MX$24.34

66.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$1.99 MX$34.69

2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.05 MX$35.61

-21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$2.17 MX$37.72

-31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$1.12 MX$19.53

-9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.12 MX$19.57

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$3.02 MX$52.6

47.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

$11.03 MX$192

68.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.55 MX$26.99

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

$2.06 MX$35.91

35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$0.52 MX$9.05

173.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$23.67 MX$412

-52.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.39 MX$24.17

122.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$1.54 MX$26.81

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$5.15 MX$89.6

164.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$1.27 MX$22.14

3.15%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$13.4K MX$232.6K

104.06%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$15.6K MX$270.7K

113.55%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$40.57 MX$706

203.57%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$21.26 MX$370

-35.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$28.69 MX$499

-35.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$51.6 MX$897

17.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

$14.42 MX$251

16.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$4.12 MX$71.8

115.78%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$185 MX$3,221

270.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$3,167 MX$55.1K

391.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$44.22 MX$769

30.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$29.92 MX$521

15.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$82.7 MX$1,439

39.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$107 MX$1,856

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$329 MX$5,717

87.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$234 MX$4,068

89.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$1,017 MX$17.7K

101.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$472 MX$8,212

219.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

$1,749 MX$30.4K

104.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

$677 MX$11.8K

271.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

$701 MX$12.2K

-28.26%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Morelia: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $329 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Morelia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $951 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: $618 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 109% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $185 in Morelia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $951 in Morelia versus $1,261 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.