Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Luis Potosi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Luis Potosi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,143 in San Luis Potosi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,858 in San Luis Potosi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,574 in San Luis Potosi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in San Luis Potosi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Luis Potosi 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.60 MX$203

-60.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$53.1 MX$932

-13.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$9.98 MX$175

-11.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.88 MX$50.5

6.25%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.28 MX$22.51

-42.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.93 MX$16.29

-56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.66 MX$46.63

-8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.41 MX$77.4

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.63 MX$28.53

38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.40 MX$42.05

-24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.53 MX$26.76

47.06%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.94 MX$34.05

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.26 MX$162

110.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.75 MX$154

-58.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.72 MX$188

21.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.94 MX$51.7

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.53 MX$26.91

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.79 MX$31.48

32.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.91 MX$33.50

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.19 MX$38.34

-30.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.14 MX$37.62

-29.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.33 MX$23.41

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.99 MX$17.41

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.93 MX$68.9

12.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$14.32 MX$251

27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.68 MX$29.55

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.41 MX$59.9

-21.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.63 MX$11.04

123.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$69.9 MX$1,227

-83.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.77 MX$13.57

303.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.18 MX$20.77

-11.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.56 MX$150

64.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.31 MX$23.00

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$25.6K MX$448.9K

8.69%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.7K MX$381.3K

52.78%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$45.44 MX$797

169.45%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.96 MX$490

-51.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$30.89 MX$542

-39.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$26.73 MX$469

126.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$15.59 MX$273

8.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.88 MX$85.6

85.86%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$217 MX$3,804

225.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$3,435 MX$60.2K

360.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$58.8 MX$1,031

-0.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$42.38 MX$743

-16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$98.0 MX$1,719

17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$73.1 MX$1,282

14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$410 MX$7,194

52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$353 MX$6,199

25.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$830 MX$14.6K

145.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$694 MX$12.2K

115.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,478 MX$25.9K

135.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$934 MX$16.4K

175.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$898 MX$15.8K

-44.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.5

-53.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Luis Potosi: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $410 in San Luis Potosi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis Potosi pays 80% 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 $53.0 in San Luis Potosi. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $270, with San Luis Potosi 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 San Luis Potosi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis Potosi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in San Luis Potosi. 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 $410 in San Luis Potosi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $217 in San Luis Potosi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,143 in San Luis Potosi versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Luis Potosi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Luis Potosi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Luis Potosi 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 Luis Potosi 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 Luis Potosi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.