Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tehuacan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tehuacan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $993 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,167 in Tehuacan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tehuacan 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.80 MX$84.0

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.00 MX$455

80.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.69 MX$99.7

55.36%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.60 MX$45.55

15.38%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.35 MX$23.60

-45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.81 MX$14.16

-54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.77 MX$30.99

37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.63 MX$63.6

-0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.47 MX$25.74

53.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.65 MX$28.83

11.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.41 MX$24.68

58.87%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.64 MX$28.71

41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.47 MX$113

204.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.81 MX$102

-37.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.99 MX$175

31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.14 MX$37.45

58.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.28 MX$22.40

28.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.61 MX$28.20

49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.60 MX$28.04

26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.12 MX$37.06

-26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.50 MX$26.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.02 MX$17.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.62 MX$10.83

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.06 MX$71.0

9.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.46 MX$253

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.71 MX$12.49

150.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.07 MX$18.75

157.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.66 MX$11.47

112.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.39 MX$24.29

124.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.28 MX$4.88

257.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.54 MX$97.0

154.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.26 MX$22.07

7.14%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$18.9K MX$330.7K

43.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.2K MX$405.5K

42.09%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$40.96 MX$717

205.13%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.73 MX$485

-51.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$20.98 MX$367

-11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.21 MX$634

69.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.59 MX$273

8.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.11 MX$71.9

123.60%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$433 MX$7,581

61.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,563 MX$62.4K

337.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$57.0 MX$998

1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$45.67 MX$799

-22.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$102 MX$1,778

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$107 MX$1,868

-19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$508 MX$8,891

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$397 MX$6,941

12.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$941 MX$16.5K

117.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$754 MX$13.2K

97.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,976 MX$34.6K

91.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,277 MX$22.3K

107.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.34

-53.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $508 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $210 per month, with Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehuacan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,489 in Tehuacan 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 $508 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $433 in Tehuacan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tehuacan – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Tehuacan versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tehuacan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tehuacan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.