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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,234 in Puebla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,974 in Puebla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,715 in Puebla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Puebla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puebla 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.29 MX$215

-62.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$51.9 MX$907

-11.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.01 MX$140

10.36%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.10 MX$54.2

-1.29%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$1.22 MX$21.40

-40.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.91 MX$15.93

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$2.57 MX$44.98

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.37 MX$58.9

12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.49 MX$26.00

51.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$2.96 MX$51.7

-38.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.59 MX$27.84

41.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$2.83 MX$49.45

-20.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$6.79 MX$119

187.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$6.55 MX$115

-44.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$11.07 MX$194

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.57 MX$44.92

25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.35 MX$23.59

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$1.65 MX$28.79

44.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$1.84 MX$32.11

10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$2.16 MX$37.81

-29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.91 MX$33.35

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$1.28 MX$22.44

-23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$1.24 MX$21.60

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.58 MX$80.0

-3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$14.31 MX$250

28.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.35 MX$23.61

37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$2.86 MX$50.1

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.51 MX$8.96

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$27.14 MX$475

-56.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$3.11 MX$54.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$1.74 MX$30.37

-40.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.61 MX$185

32.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.31 MX$22.98

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$22.1K MX$385.9K

26.02%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.0K MX$419.6K

38.42%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$68.8 MX$1,202

78.04%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$22.00 MX$385

-38.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$24.85 MX$435

-24.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$47.37 MX$828

27.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$12.45 MX$218

36.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.34 MX$93.4

69.85%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$369 MX$6,448

91.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$19.0K MX$332.4K

-16.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$54.1 MX$947

8.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$58.5 MX$1,023

-39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$109 MX$1,905

5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$101 MX$1,768

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$541 MX$9,460

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$441 MX$7,712

0.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$911 MX$15.9K

124.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$843 MX$14.7K

77.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$1,726 MX$30.2K

101.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$947 MX$16.6K

172.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$682 MX$11.9K

-26.71%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Puebla: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $541 in Puebla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puebla pays 36% 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 $52.0 in Puebla. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $257, 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

Puebla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $541 in Puebla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $369 in Puebla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,234 in Puebla versus $1,250 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.