Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tampico Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tampico

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,326 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,040 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,754 in Tampico.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 7% less than in Tampico, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tampico 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.55 MX$147

-48.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$45.85 MX$791

-29.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.64 MX$149

3.36%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.23 MX$55.6

-10.22%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.34 MX$23.10

-34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.90 MX$15.48

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.95 MX$50.9

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.32 MX$74.6

-13.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.60 MX$27.62

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$4.43 MX$76.4

-66.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.49 MX$25.68

4.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.36 MX$75.2

-51.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.33 MX$92.0

267.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.84 MX$187

-68.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.22 MX$245

-19.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.65 MX$62.9

-18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.27 MX$21.82

32.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.26 MX$39.05

-2.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.39 MX$41.22

-9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.27 MX$39.11

-33.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.02 MX$52.1

-55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.28 MX$39.27

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.95 MX$16.39

-42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.56 MX$78.7

-6.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.16 MX$192

71.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.97 MX$34.00

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.14 MX$54.1

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.84 MX$14.42

165.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$29.39 MX$507

-22.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.73 MX$47.00

10.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.88 MX$49.58

-64.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$12.02 MX$207

-67.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.42 MX$24.52

4.93%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.8K MX$599.9K

-23.61%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.5K MX$439.6K

6.02%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$61.5 MX$1,060

66.62%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$29.63 MX$511

-61.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$25.15 MX$434

-30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$45.40 MX$783

14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$17.20 MX$297

-35.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.51 MX$95.0

39.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$246 MX$4,236

128.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,846 MX$83.6K

137.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$78.8 MX$1,359

-20.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$70.7 MX$1,218

-58.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$178 MX$3,070

-44.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$90.9 MX$1,567

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$558 MX$9,623

32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$412 MX$7,099

17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,092 MX$18.8K

92.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$701 MX$12.1K

74.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,810 MX$31.2K

99.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,393 MX$24.0K

86.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$587 MX$10.1K

-15.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tampico: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $558 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampico pays 19% 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 $46.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $315 per month, with Phuket 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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Tampico. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $558 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $246 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Tampico. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,326 in Tampico, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tampico. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tampico, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tampico 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tampico. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.