Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tepic Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tepic

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,015 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,288 in Tepic.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tepic 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.99 MX$139

-42.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$42.04 MX$734

10.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$9.03 MX$158

-6.20%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$3.21 MX$56.0

-5.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$2.03 MX$35.47

-66.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$1.38 MX$24.07

-73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.60 MX$45.39

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.94 MX$68.7

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.49 MX$26.05

46.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$2.34 MX$40.76

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.03 MX$17.96

113.59%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.03 MX$35.44

9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$4.73 MX$82.6

322.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$13.18 MX$230

-72.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$6.76 MX$118

96.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.61 MX$45.57

23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.51 MX$26.27

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$3.40 MX$59.3

-29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.59 MX$27.68

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.82 MX$31.80

-12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.99 MX$34.71

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.45 MX$25.33

-28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$1.01 MX$17.71

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$4.27 MX$74.6

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$11.03 MX$192

70.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.77 MX$13.43

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.60 MX$28.00

72.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.51 MX$8.84

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$2.18 MX$38.06

44.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.50 MX$8.80

108.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$10.76 MX$188

27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.26 MX$22.01

6.35%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$18.5K MX$322.7K

49.71%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$18.4K MX$321.7K

83.71%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$41.95 MX$732

194.61%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$11.76 MX$205

14.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$25.28 MX$441

-26.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$36.42 MX$636

69.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$15.66 MX$273

10.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$4.27 MX$74.5

114.05%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$210 MX$3,662

234.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$3,485 MX$60.8K

355.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$42.51 MX$742

39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$16.14 MX$282

117.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$66.3 MX$1,157

73.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$75.0 MX$1,309

12.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$507 MX$8,847

22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$403 MX$7,026

7.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$937 MX$16.4K

120.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$770 MX$13.4K

96.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,109 MX$36.8K

72.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,268 MX$22.1K

107.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$689 MX$12.0K

-26.36%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tepic: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $507 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepic pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $251 per month, with Tepic 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 Tepic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Tepic earns 36% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $507 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $210 in Tepic. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tepic – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepic but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tepic the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tepic 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 Tepic 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 Tepic 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.