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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,119 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,753 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,387 in Tampico.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tampico 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.50 MX$113

-30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$42.94 MX$748

7.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.12 MX$107

44.44%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.17 MX$55.3

-3.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.87 MX$15.12

-16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.77 MX$13.37

-48.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.43 MX$24.99

69.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.09 MX$36.37

80.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.44 MX$25.07

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.96 MX$69.0

-54.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.56 MX$27.16

44.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.05 MX$70.5

-44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.52 MX$78.7

331.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.40 MX$146

-56.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.20 MX$195

16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.65 MX$46.11

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.21 MX$20.98

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.80 MX$31.33

32.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.54 MX$26.90

31.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.77 MX$30.75

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.15 MX$37.45

-30.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.64 MX$28.49

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.83 MX$14.45

-37.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.15 MX$72.3

6.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.11 MX$193

64.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.83 MX$31.87

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.58 MX$45.00

3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.78 MX$13.51

80.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$25.94 MX$452

-54.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.62 MX$45.67

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.41 MX$41.99

-56.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.93 MX$85.8

186.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.33 MX$23.10

-1.50%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$41.7K MX$726.8K

-33.35%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.4K MX$389.8K

48.38%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$78.8 MX$1,371

55.46%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$25.61 MX$446

-46.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.92 MX$416

-21.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.79 MX$658

60.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$16.00 MX$279

6.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.36 MX$93.4

69.22%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$242 MX$4,213

191.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,565 MX$62.1K

343.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$83.8 MX$1,459

-30.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$62.6 MX$1,090

-43.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$160 MX$2,786

-27.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$78.4 MX$1,364

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$509 MX$8,867

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$315 MX$5,484

41.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$794 MX$13.8K

157.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$612 MX$10.7K

143.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,968 MX$34.3K

76.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,150 MX$20.0K

124.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$585 MX$10.2K

-14.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.75

-54.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tampico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $509 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampico pays 17% 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 $43.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $264 per month, with Tampico 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

Tampico is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $509 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $242 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,119 in Tampico versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tampico 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 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.