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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $892 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,379 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,867 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in San Cristobal de las Casas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Cristobal de las Casas 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.22 MX$91.6

-12.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$26.65 MX$467

73.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.94 MX$104

48.82%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.33 MX$40.82

31.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.63 MX$28.62

-55.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.99 MX$17.42

-59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.44 MX$42.72

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.90 MX$85.9

-22.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.39 MX$24.38

62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.92 MX$51.2

-38.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.54 MX$26.99

46.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.43 MX$60.2

-34.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.91 MX$121

182.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.09 MX$71.7

-10.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.87 MX$120

89.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.18 MX$55.8

1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.94 MX$34.02

-16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.75 MX$30.72

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.46 MX$25.54

39.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.65 MX$29.01

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 MX$24.92

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.43 MX$25.17

-31.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.33 MX$23.37

-60.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.88 MX$32.98

136.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.72 MX$188

70.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.96 MX$34.37

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.25 MX$39.43

19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.54 MX$9.56

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$26.18 MX$459

-55.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.67 MX$46.83

16.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$2.49 MX$43.73

-58.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.28 MX$145

70.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.31 MX$23.02

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$16.1K MX$282.2K

72.89%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.6K MX$396.0K

47.14%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$33.07 MX$580

270.24%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$19.79 MX$347

-31.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$19.64 MX$344

-4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$21.50 MX$377

181.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$16.16 MX$283

5.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.56 MX$115

38.26%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$198 MX$3,472

256.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,513 MX$44.1K

528.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$26.01 MX$456

125.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$31.61 MX$554

11.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$83.3 MX$1,461

38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$50.5 MX$886

65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$427 MX$7,487

46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$301 MX$5,283

47.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$860 MX$15.1K

137.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$506 MX$8,867

195.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$865 MX$15.2K

302.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$679 MX$11.9K

279.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$426 MX$7,468

17.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.33

-48.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $427 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $232 per month, with San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Cristobal de las Casas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $427 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $198 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 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $892 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,250 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.