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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,270 in Puebla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,020 in Puebla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,770 in Puebla.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Puebla; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puebla 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$12.21 MX$211

-61.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$52.7 MX$912

-13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.72 MX$134

9.20%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.23 MX$55.9

-9.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.17 MX$20.32

-41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.85 MX$14.66

-56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.57 MX$44.52

-6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.42 MX$59.2

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.48 MX$25.54

50.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.87 MX$49.69

-36.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.53 MX$26.49

41.83%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.89 MX$49.94

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.76 MX$117

192.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.34 MX$110

-42.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.99 MX$190

23.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.47 MX$42.79

32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.43 MX$24.67

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.72 MX$29.83

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.78 MX$30.84

16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.13 MX$36.87

-28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.90 MX$32.81

-22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.23 MX$21.31

-19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.28 MX$22.08

-60.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.54 MX$78.5

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$14.49 MX$251

33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.30 MX$22.47

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.82 MX$48.72

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.52 MX$8.92

163.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$27.76 MX$480

-58.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.12 MX$53.9

-3.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.66 MX$28.78

-40.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.77 MX$186

30.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.29 MX$22.37

5.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$22.2K MX$384.1K

27.00%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.3K MX$419.8K

35.58%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$67.9 MX$1,175

79.16%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.89 MX$379

-38.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$25.20 MX$436

-27.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$48.30 MX$835

24.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.63 MX$218

35.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.21 MX$90.2

66.79%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$375 MX$6,486

84.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$19.2K MX$332.3K

-18.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$54.5 MX$942

9.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$59.9 MX$1,036

-41.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$110 MX$1,895

4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$101 MX$1,752

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$550 MX$9,512

11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$440 MX$7,606

-0.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$938 MX$16.2K

123.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$842 MX$14.6K

79.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,698 MX$29.4K

120.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$973 MX$16.8K

168.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$712 MX$12.3K

-28.64%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Puebla: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $550 in Puebla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puebla pays 40% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Puebla. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $254, with Puebla 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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Puebla earns 40% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $550 in Puebla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $375 in Puebla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Puebla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,270 in Puebla, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puebla. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Puebla, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Puebla on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.