Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,211 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,949 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,687 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$14.60 MX$248

-68.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$49.78 MX$846

-35.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$9.89 MX$168

-12.23%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$3.63 MX$61.7

-20.11%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$1.75 MX$29.80

-52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$1.32 MX$22.34

-62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$2.34 MX$39.82

5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.38 MX$91.3

-30.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.76 MX$29.90

7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$2.84 MX$48.19

-50.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.67 MX$28.36

-2.99%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.66 MX$45.23

-15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.41 MX$177

90.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$8.76 MX$149

-60.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.14 MX$189

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$2.60 MX$44.20

11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.62 MX$27.57

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$1.44 MX$24.40

57.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$1.46 MX$24.79

45.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$1.82 MX$30.89

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$1.16 MX$19.77

22.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$1.52 MX$25.87

-27.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$1.10 MX$18.74

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.67 MX$79.4

-7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.50 MX$178

77.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$1.73 MX$29.43

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$3.63 MX$61.6

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$0.68 MX$11.56

230.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$2.37 MX$40.27

30.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$1.49 MX$25.33

-27.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$13.04 MX$222

-70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.49 MX$25.34

-4.03%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$23.3K MX$396.1K

19.17%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$26.2K MX$445.4K

2.92%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$54.6 MX$927

91.98%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$24.37 MX$414

-53.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$23.79 MX$404

-26.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$37.47 MX$637

45.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$18.51 MX$315

-38.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.52 MX$59.8

121.02%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$272 MX$4,615

112.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$11.7K MX$199.1K

-1.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$64.1 MX$1,089

-0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$44.58 MX$757

-34.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$115 MX$1,947

-16.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$87.0 MX$1,479

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$655 MX$11.1K

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$413 MX$7,013

21.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$1,129 MX$19.2K

88.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$833 MX$14.2K

50.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$2,105 MX$35.8K

67.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$1,369 MX$23.3K

91.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$669 MX$11.4K

-24.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.32

4.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $655 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga pays 32% 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 $50.0 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $272, with Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 $655 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $272 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,211 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tlajomulco de Zúñiga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.