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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Saltillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,292 in Saltillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,145 in Saltillo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Saltillo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Saltillo is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$11.96 MX$203

-61.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$53.3 MX$905

-39.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.91 MX$117

25.62%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.73 MX$63.3

-22.25%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.39 MX$23.66

-39.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.09 MX$18.56

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.32 MX$39.43

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.05 MX$68.7

-7.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.56 MX$26.54

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.72 MX$63.1

-62.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.08 MX$35.35

-22.12%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.55 MX$43.23

-12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.51 MX$195

72.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$9.17 MX$156

-62.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.53 MX$179

7.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.89 MX$49.02

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.36 MX$23.15

26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.87 MX$31.68

21.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.13 MX$36.19

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.43 MX$41.22

-39.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.80 MX$47.52

-49.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.36 MX$23.03

-19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.21 MX$20.53

-50.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.84 MX$82.1

-10.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.15 MX$189

66.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.45 MX$41.58

-26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.57 MX$26.58

89.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.91 MX$15.41

147.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$18.00 MX$305

30.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.78 MX$47.19

11.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.15 MX$36.44

-49.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.60 MX$27.13

-10.63%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.5K MX$347.8K

35.51%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.8K MX$438.0K

4.51%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$50.8 MX$862

106.22%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$36.00 MX$611

-68.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$33.04 MX$561

-46.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$59.7 MX$1,012

-8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$14.52 MX$246

-21.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.25 MX$106

24.48%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$263 MX$4,454

119.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,806 MX$47.6K

312.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$61.8 MX$1,048

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$61.4 MX$1,042

-52.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$92.9 MX$1,576

3.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$134 MX$2,274

-32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$621 MX$10.5K

18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$534 MX$9,052

-6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,023 MX$17.3K

107.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,023 MX$17.4K

22.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$588 MX$9,977

500.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$973 MX$16.5K

169.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$865 MX$14.7K

-41.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.53

-47.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Saltillo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $621 in Saltillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saltillo pays 70% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Saltillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $295 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 Saltillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $621 in Saltillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $263 in Saltillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Saltillo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Saltillo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saltillo. 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 Saltillo, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Saltillo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.