Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Luis Potosi

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in San Luis Potosi: $1,278 and $1,279 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket, Thailand
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
San Luis Potosi
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,279
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in San Luis Potosi

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 Luis Potosi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,279 in San Luis Potosi.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • San Luis Potosi $1,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,990 in San Luis Potosi.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • San Luis Potosi $1,990

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,701 in San Luis Potosi.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • San Luis Potosi $2,701

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and San Luis Potosi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.67 MX$257
-67.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$41.65 MX$783
-22.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.28 MX$174
-5.06%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.15 MX$59.2
-10.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$1.35 MX$25.46
-35.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$0.95 MX$17.93
-48.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.58 MX$48.54
-0.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.64 MX$87.1
-20.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.53 MX$28.79
8.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$2.44 MX$45.84
-40.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.75 MX$32.97
-14.29%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.65 MX$49.88
-21.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$8.44 MX$159
125.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.09 MX$190
-67.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$11.42 MX$215
-4.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.26 MX$61.3
-10.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.61 MX$30.33
4.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.18 MX$41.06
3.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.57 MX$48.31
-19.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.62 MX$49.21
-42.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$3.04 MX$57.1
-54.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$1.10 MX$20.68
-2.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.32 MX$24.78
-60.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.92 MX$73.7
7.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$13.48 MX$253
39.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.03 MX$38.07
-10.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.80 MX$71.5
-25.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$0.86 MX$16.25
68.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$70.4 MX$1,323
-19.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.85 MX$15.91
255.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$1.65 MX$31.00
-38.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$9.86 MX$185
-62.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.36 MX$25.55
8.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$21.2K MX$398.6K
26.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$23.1K MX$434.4K
15.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$41.57 MX$781
131.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$15.91 MX$299
-29.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$30.72 MX$577
-45.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$30.10 MX$566
123.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$26.81 MX$504
-59.98%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.55 MX$104
35.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$250 MX$4,704
90.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$3,477 MX$65.3K
223.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$53.8 MX$1,011
15.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$37.90 MX$712
-25.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$100 MX$1,880
-5.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$75.7 MX$1,423
13.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$647 MX$12.2K
10.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$446 MX$8,387
10.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,138 MX$21.4K
69.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$751 MX$14.1K
90.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$1,395 MX$26.2K
199.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$883 MX$16.6K
244.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$853 MX$16.0K
-41.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
12.68
-56.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Luis Potosi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
San Luis Potosi
$446 9.1% $45
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
San Luis Potosi
$294 10.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
San Luis Potosi
$88 29.1% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
San Luis Potosi
$120 1.3% $1.5
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
San Luis Potosi
$206 69.6% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
San Luis Potosi
$41 49.9% $41
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
San Luis Potosi
$83 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $647 in San Luis Potosi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis Potosi pays 70% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $42 in San Luis Potosi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $294 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇽 San Luis Potosi
🕒 Local time
10:05 10:05 AM
21:05 9:05 PM
13 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
845,941
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket San Luis Potosi 16,060 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • San Luis Potosi

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 Luis Potosi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you earn more: Phuket or San Luis Potosi?
On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and San Luis Potosi?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $647 in San Luis Potosi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $250 in San Luis Potosi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in San Luis Potosi?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $42 in San Luis Potosi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or San Luis Potosi?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in San Luis Potosi?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or San Luis Potosi?
Safety-wise, Phuket and San Luis Potosi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, San Luis Potosi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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