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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,678 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,305 in Tepic.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tepic 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$7.96 MX$138

-41.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$42.12 MX$730

10.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$9.17 MX$159

-5.34%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.13 MX$54.2

-5.75%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$2.07 MX$35.89

-66.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.33 MX$22.99

-70.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.55 MX$44.12

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$4.11 MX$71.3

-8.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.52 MX$26.37

46.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$2.33 MX$40.30

-22.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.08 MX$18.78

102.78%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.01 MX$34.83

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$4.90 MX$84.9

294.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$12.95 MX$224

-70.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$6.70 MX$116

97.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.58 MX$44.72

29.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.57 MX$27.22

5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$3.52 MX$60.9

-34.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.61 MX$27.82

23.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.85 MX$32.02

-17.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$2.06 MX$35.73

-26.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.44 MX$24.96

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.02 MX$17.67

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.22 MX$73.1

4.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$11.44 MX$198

69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.77 MX$13.31

133.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.68 MX$29.03

59.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.55 MX$9.61

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$2.11 MX$36.53

44.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.51 MX$8.88

103.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$10.51 MX$182

30.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.28 MX$22.15

1.56%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$18.5K MX$320.3K

50.96%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$18.8K MX$325.4K

75.95%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$42.49 MX$736

189.41%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$12.00 MX$208

15.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$25.61 MX$444

-26.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$36.65 MX$635

66.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$15.81 MX$274

6.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.19 MX$72.7

111.69%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$208 MX$3,607

234.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$3,460 MX$60.0K

364.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$42.16 MX$731

40.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$15.88 MX$275

119.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$65.5 MX$1,135

72.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$73.6 MX$1,276

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$514 MX$8,908

19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$398 MX$6,890

12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$934 MX$16.2K

123.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$749 MX$13.0K

99.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,220 MX$38.5K

68.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,251 MX$21.7K

112.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$696 MX$12.1K

-23.37%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tepic: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $514 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepic pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $42 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $253 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tepic earns 30% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $514 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $208 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,052 in Tepic versus $1,270 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 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.