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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $987 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,566 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,144 in Tehuacan.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$4.75 MX$82.4

-5.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$26.51 MX$460

75.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$5.70 MX$99.0

48.95%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.59 MX$44.90

18.92%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.35 MX$23.51

-49.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.80 MX$13.93

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.71 MX$29.62

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.61 MX$62.6

0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.41 MX$24.47

55.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.68 MX$29.10

7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.42 MX$24.58

57.04%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.71 MX$29.76

30.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$6.25 MX$109

213.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.95 MX$103

-37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$9.47 MX$164

42.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.14 MX$37.16

57.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.29 MX$22.41

25.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.57 MX$27.22

53.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.60 MX$27.83

24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.12 MX$36.83

-27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.50 MX$26.03

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.98 MX$16.97

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.62 MX$10.70

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.10 MX$71.2

4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$16.88 MX$293

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$0.67 MX$11.55

174.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.08 MX$18.83

153.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.64 MX$11.12

121.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.38 MX$24.03

117.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.28 MX$4.81

275.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$5.28 MX$91.6

163.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.21 MX$21.03

6.61%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$19.0K MX$330.3K

47.31%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.5K MX$408.0K

42.49%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$40.25 MX$699

203.06%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$26.81 MX$465

-48.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$20.56 MX$357

-8.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$36.45 MX$633

68.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$16.12 MX$280

4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$4.35 MX$75.5

104.37%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$424 MX$7,367

62.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$3,547 MX$61.6K

355.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$57.0 MX$990

1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$44.51 MX$772

-20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$104 MX$1,803

9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$108 MX$1,870

-22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$515 MX$8,930

17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$401 MX$6,951

11.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$932 MX$16.2K

117.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$770 MX$13.4K

93.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$2,041 MX$35.4K

75.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,238 MX$21.5K

108.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $515 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $213 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 $1,835 in Phuket and $1,481 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: $607 in Phuket versus $515 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $424 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 $27.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Tehuacan versus $1,223 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.