Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saltillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saltillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,231 in Saltillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,990 in Saltillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,749 in Saltillo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Saltillo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.10 MX$141

-43.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$44.68 MX$778

3.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.37 MX$111

38.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.10 MX$54.0

-1.29%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.24 MX$21.67

-41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.00 MX$17.38

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.17 MX$37.72

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.69 MX$64.2

2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.47 MX$25.67

53.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.25 MX$56.6

-44.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.90 MX$33.06

18.42%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.53 MX$43.97

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.45 MX$182

86.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.12 MX$141

-55.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.84 MX$171

32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.66 MX$46.27

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.19 MX$20.72

36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.61 MX$27.98

47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.88 MX$32.72

7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.07 MX$36.06

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.39 MX$41.56

-37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.22 MX$21.20

-19.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.04 MX$18.17

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.56 MX$62.0

24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.82 MX$188

69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.23 MX$38.89

-16.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.46 MX$25.48

83.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.82 MX$14.30

71.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$16.01 MX$279

-26.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.57 MX$44.84

21.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.81 MX$31.55

-42.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.60 MX$185

33.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.30 MX$22.61

0.77%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$14.7K MX$256.4K

88.87%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.5K MX$426.2K

35.72%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$46.41 MX$808

163.82%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$24.21 MX$422

-43.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$29.61 MX$516

-36.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$66.4 MX$1,157

-8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.24 MX$231

28.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.34 MX$110

43.06%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$240 MX$4,184

193.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,536 MX$44.2K

523.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$53.9 MX$938

8.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$55.8 MX$971

-36.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$83.7 MX$1,457

37.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$121 MX$2,115

-31.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$551 MX$9,598

13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$484 MX$8,422

-7.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$910 MX$15.8K

124.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$975 MX$17.0K

52.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$580 MX$10.1K

500.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$923 MX$16.1K

179.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$814 MX$14.2K

-38.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.5

-49.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Saltillo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $551 in Saltillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saltillo pays 63% 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 $45.00 in Saltillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $267 per month, with Saltillo 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 Saltillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saltillo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Saltillo. 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 $551 in Saltillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $240 in Saltillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,231 in Saltillo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saltillo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saltillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saltillo 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 Saltillo 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 Saltillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.