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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,980 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,762 in Tepic.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than in Tepic, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tepic 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$14.61 MX$247

-68.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,060

$49.08 MX$829

-34.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿286

$9.66 MX$163

-10.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.4

$3.48 MX$58.8

-16.67%

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

$0.84 ฿27.78

$1.79 MX$30.24

-53.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.10

$1.32 MX$22.22

-62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.7

$2.89 MX$48.81

-14.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.51 MX$93.0

-32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.67 MX$28.22

13.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.36

$2.73 MX$46.02

-48.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$1.72 MX$29.09

-5.81%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.8

$2.25 MX$37.91

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿653

$5.25 MX$88.7

277.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$10.24 MX$173

-66.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$12.28 MX$207

-7.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.4

$3.02 MX$51.1

-3.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.8

$1.78 MX$29.98

-3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.8

$2.09 MX$35.21

8.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.2

$1.97 MX$33.30

8.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.53

$2.18 MX$36.84

-32.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.73

$1.93 MX$32.65

-26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.11

$1.47 MX$24.88

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.68

$1.19 MX$20.05

-49.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.80 MX$81.0

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$11.36 MX$192

63.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.3

$0.92 MX$15.56

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.6

$3.60 MX$60.8

-17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.9

$0.86 MX$14.51

161.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿773

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.38 MX$40.13

30.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.42

$1.50 MX$25.32

-28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$12.71 MX$215

-69.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.97

$1.53 MX$25.82

-6.54%

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

$27.8K ฿914.4K

$23.0K MX$388.1K

20.89%

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

$27.0K ฿888.0K

$26.1K MX$440.9K

3.34%

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

$105 ฿3,449

$46.23 MX$781

126.69%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$13.37 MX$226

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$32.63 MX$551

-46.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,788

$36.98 MX$624

46.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

$21.38 MX$361

-46.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$7.21 MX$122

7.91%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$268 MX$4,522

115.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.2K

$11.5K MX$193.5K

1.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,094

$62.2 MX$1,049

2.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿958

$44.80 MX$756

-35.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,167

$116 MX$1,953

-16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,962

$92.9 MX$1,569

-3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$664 MX$11.2K

10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$418 MX$7,059

19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.0K

$1,100 MX$18.6K

93.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$836 MX$14.1K

49.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.3K

$1,989 MX$33.6K

77.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.3K

$1,244 MX$21.0K

110.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$709 MX$12.0K

-28.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.68

-52.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tepic: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $664 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepic pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Tepic. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $273, with Tepic cheaper for home cooking.

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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Tepic. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $664 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $268 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 $49.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Tepic versus $1,265 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.