Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puebla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puebla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Puebla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,876 in Puebla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,636 in Puebla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in Puebla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Puebla 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$10.15 MX$172

-55.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$52.3 MX$888

-37.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$10.47 MX$178

-15.00%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$3.54 MX$60.1

-20.90%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$1.59 MX$26.99

-44.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$1.23 MX$20.82

-60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$2.99 MX$50.8

-20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$4.24 MX$72.0

-12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$1.78 MX$30.23

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$3.36 MX$57.2

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$2.05 MX$34.84

-22.93%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$3.87 MX$65.7

-44.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$7.06 MX$120

182.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$5.95 MX$101

-42.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$11.77 MX$200

-3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$2.90 MX$49.25

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$1.91 MX$32.37

-9.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$2.09 MX$35.45

11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$2.21 MX$37.58

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$2.26 MX$38.41

-34.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$2.18 MX$36.99

-37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$1.57 MX$26.72

-29.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$1.44 MX$24.43

-60.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$5.27 MX$89.4

-18.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$14.52 MX$247

26.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.53 MX$25.96

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$2.87 MX$48.68

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$0.62 MX$10.47

258.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

$27.00 MX$459

-15.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.64 MX$95.8

-46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$2.01 MX$34.21

-46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$17.33 MX$294

-77.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$1.56 MX$26.46

-4.49%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$22.5K MX$382.2K

20.56%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$26.3K MX$446.0K

4.54%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$67.1 MX$1,140

53.16%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$20.47 MX$348

-46.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$25.74 MX$437

-31.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$45.20 MX$768

18.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$14.18 MX$241

-21.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$5.92 MX$100

26.35%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$453 MX$7,693

22.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$21.4K MX$363.8K

-44.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$64.0 MX$1,086

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$64.6 MX$1,098

-55.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$110 MX$1,864

-12.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$102 MX$1,739

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$659 MX$11.2K

10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$293 MX$4,973

70.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$911 MX$15.5K

129.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$673 MX$11.4K

79.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$1,755 MX$29.8K

104.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$966 MX$16.4K

160.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$723 MX$12.3K

-30.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.96

-49.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Puebla: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $659 in Puebla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puebla pays 44% 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 $52.0 in Puebla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $284 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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puebla is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Puebla. 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 $659 in Puebla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $453 in Puebla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,117 in Puebla versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puebla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puebla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puebla is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puebla 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 Puebla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.