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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,142 in San Luis Potosi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,855 in San Luis Potosi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,569 in San Luis Potosi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than San Luis Potosi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Luis Potosi 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.84 MX$205

-60.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$52.1 MX$903

-12.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$10.14 MX$176

-16.86%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.02 MX$52.3

-2.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.30 MX$22.46

-46.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.87 MX$15.14

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.63 MX$45.54

-8.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.46 MX$77.2

-16.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.64 MX$28.43

35.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.38 MX$41.22

-23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.52 MX$26.28

42.76%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.02 MX$34.95

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.34 MX$162

111.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.60 MX$149

-57.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.90 MX$189

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.82 MX$48.79

16.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.53 MX$26.51

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.80 MX$31.19

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.84 MX$31.88

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.10 MX$36.43

-27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.24 MX$38.79

-33.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.27 MX$22.03

-22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.00 MX$17.30

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.04 MX$70.1

9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$14.63 MX$254

32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.72 MX$29.76

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.42 MX$59.3

-20.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.59 MX$10.27

132.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$68.3 MX$1,183

-83.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.75 MX$13.04

302.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.24 MX$21.46

-20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.91 MX$154

58.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.30 MX$22.57

4.62%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$26.2K MX$454.8K

7.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.6K MX$373.7K

52.59%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$45.19 MX$783

169.31%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.97 MX$467

-49.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$31.16 MX$540

-41.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$27.07 MX$469

122.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.97 MX$277

7.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.64 MX$80.3

87.28%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$221 MX$3,836

213.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,368 MX$58.4K

365.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$57.8 MX$1,002

2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$41.85 MX$725

-16.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$98.4 MX$1,706

16.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$75.5 MX$1,308

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$406 MX$7,042

50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$351 MX$6,075

24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$845 MX$14.6K

147.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$700 MX$12.1K

115.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,472 MX$25.5K

154.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$944 MX$16.4K

177.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$900 MX$15.6K

-43.54%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Luis Potosi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $406 in San Luis Potosi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis Potosi pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $52.0 in San Luis Potosi. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Luis Potosi earns 77% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $406 in San Luis Potosi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $221 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 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,142 in San Luis Potosi versus $1,265 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 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.