Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Cristobal de las Casas

For one person, living is cheaper in San Cristobal de las Casas: $925 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in San Cristobal de las Casas
Learn more

San Cristobal de las Casas Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

San Cristobal de las Casas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in San Cristobal de las Casas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in San Cristobal de las Casas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $925 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Phuket $1,207
San Cristobal de las Casas $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,420 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Phuket $2,037
San Cristobal de las Casas $1,420

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,915 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Phuket $2,867
San Cristobal de las Casas $1,915

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in San Cristobal de las Casas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, San Cristobal de las Casas 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$5.36 MX$99.0

-14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$27.82 MX$514

16.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$6.07 MX$112

40.86%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.48 MX$45.91

9.68%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.62 MX$29.93

-41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.03 MX$19.08

-52.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.80 MX$51.8

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.24 MX$59.8

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.41 MX$26.10

23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.58 MX$66.1

-60.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.60 MX$29.62

-4.38%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.27 MX$41.91

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$6.69 MX$124

186.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.11 MX$76.0

-19.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$6.40 MX$118

74.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.29 MX$60.9

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.10 MX$38.81

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.21 MX$40.80

4.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.45 MX$26.74

46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.61 MX$29.75

-4.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.77 MX$32.68

-23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.82 MX$33.56

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.61 MX$29.68

-65.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.88 MX$34.79

126.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$10.57 MX$195

72.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.40 MX$44.35

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.96 MX$36.27

42.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.56 MX$10.41

296.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$27.82 MX$514

-20.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.69 MX$49.67

8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$2.79 MX$51.6

-63.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.39 MX$25.66

7.19%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$19.0K MX$351.7K

40.20%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$32.74 MX$605

203.51%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$14.82 MX$274

-23.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$20.42 MX$377

-14.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$22.92 MX$423

128.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$23.54 MX$435

-53.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.73 MX$124

12.48%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$208 MX$3,843

168.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$2,657 MX$49.1K

332.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$19.35 MX$358

224.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$27.33 MX$505

4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$95.5 MX$1,765

0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$54.0 MX$999

62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$434 MX$8,014

68.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$321 MX$5,938

43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$890 MX$16.4K

135.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$527 MX$9,741

131.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$835 MX$15.4K

314.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$664 MX$12.3K

274.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$403 MX$7,451

22.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.8

-43.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$321 34.7% 30.1% $139

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$242 26.2% 9.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$68 7.4% 46.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$88 9.6% 28.8% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$122 13.2% 0.5% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$36 3.9% 46% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$47 5.1% 20.1% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $434 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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 $28.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $242 per month, with San Cristobal de las Casas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 San Cristobal de las Casas

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

183,509

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket San Cristobal de las Casas 17,020 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
San Cristobal de las Casas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 San Cristobal de las Casas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Cristobal de las Casas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $434 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $208 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Cristobal de las Casas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Cristobal de las Casas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.