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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,128 in Tapachula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,777 in Tapachula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,426 in Tapachula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Tapachula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tapachula 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.56 MX$185

-56.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$38.36 MX$671

22.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.10 MX$142

9.14%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.28 MX$57.4

-8.54%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.28 MX$22.41

-42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.95 MX$16.63

-61.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.43 MX$42.46

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.93 MX$68.7

-8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.44 MX$25.19

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.61 MX$45.72

-29.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.57 MX$27.44

42.68%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.38 MX$41.69

-2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.11 MX$142

142.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.01 MX$140

-54.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.66 MX$186

22.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.68 MX$46.92

26.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.46 MX$25.53

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.76 MX$30.88

36.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.60 MX$28.03

26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.90 MX$33.23

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.95 MX$34.21

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.21 MX$21.20

-15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.98 MX$17.23

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.24 MX$74.3

4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.88 MX$173

91.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.56 MX$27.30

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.83 MX$49.56

-2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.62 MX$10.80

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.61 MX$45.71

19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.59 MX$27.78

-37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.42 MX$147

67.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.28 MX$22.32

5.47%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.5K MX$376.3K

26.43%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.3K MX$389.8K

47.80%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$56.5 MX$989

121.09%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.38 MX$392

-39.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.68 MX$484

-33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.28 MX$635

69.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.01 MX$280

5.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.52 MX$79.1

103.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$205 MX$3,592

240.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,617 MX$63.3K

331.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$53.8 MX$941

7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.79 MX$696

-11.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$90.4 MX$1,582

25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$78.8 MX$1,380

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$501 MX$8,767

22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$395 MX$6,910

12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$928 MX$16.2K

120.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$765 MX$13.4K

95.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,218 MX$38.8K

70.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,236 MX$21.6K

114.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $501 in Tapachula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Tapachula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $249 per month, with Tapachula 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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapachula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,692 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: $616 in Phuket versus $501 in Tapachula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $205 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 $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,128 in Tapachula versus $1,232 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.