Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tapachula Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tapachula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,138 in Tapachula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,837 in Tapachula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $2,536 in Tapachula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Tapachula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Tapachula 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$10.62 MX$192

-59.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,093

$45.91 MX$830

-29.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$8.91 MX$161

-5.50%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.5

$3.97 MX$71.8

-29.22%

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

$0.87 ฿29.46

$1.52 MX$27.48

-42.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.48

$1.08 MX$19.52

-57.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.0

$2.73 MX$49.34

-5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.72 MX$67.3

-2.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.5

$1.65 MX$29.84

3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.69

$2.57 MX$46.53

-43.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.66 MX$30.00

-6.02%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.7

$2.53 MX$45.75

-17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿657

$8.34 MX$151

134.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.35 MX$151

-59.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿375

$11.75 MX$212

-5.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.46 MX$44.49

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.52 MX$27.39

6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.9

$1.72 MX$31.15

29.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.3

$1.83 MX$33.03

17.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$2.05 MX$37.09

-27.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.65

$1.95 MX$35.27

-31.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.92

$1.47 MX$26.59

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.10

$1.14 MX$20.60

-55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿148

$4.33 MX$78.3

1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿632

$10.01 MX$181

87.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$1.78 MX$32.11

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.5

$3.13 MX$56.6

-11.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿73.0

$0.72 MX$13.10

201.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿750

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.80 MX$50.6

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.63

$1.79 MX$32.29

-40.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$11.24 MX$203

-66.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.16

$1.42 MX$25.63

0.70%

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

$26.3K ฿887.1K

$18.8K MX$340.5K

39.87%

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

$26.2K ฿882.3K

$24.6K MX$444.1K

6.65%

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

$96.7 ฿3,254

$65.2 MX$1,178

48.30%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$25.73 MX$465

-55.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿576

$33.38 MX$603

-48.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,778

$31.87 MX$576

65.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿373

$20.47 MX$370

-45.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿258

$4.53 MX$81.9

68.87%

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

$555 ฿18.7K

$203 MX$3,667

173.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$4,611 MX$83.3K

144.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,135

$59.4 MX$1,073

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿963

$37.15 MX$671

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,256

$93.0 MX$1,681

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,983

$92.1 MX$1,665

-3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$693 MX$12.5K

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$355 MX$6,414

29.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.8K

$1,186 MX$21.4K

77.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿40.0K

$783 MX$14.2K

51.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.6K

$1,841 MX$33.3K

89.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.9K

$1,105 MX$20.0K

125.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $693 in Tapachula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Tapachula. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $263, with Tapachula 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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapachula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Phuket and $1,707 in Tapachula to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Phuket versus $693 in Tapachula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $203 in Tapachula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapachula – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,138 in Tapachula versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tapachula 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 Tapachula 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 Tapachula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.