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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,090 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,739 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,388 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.45 MX$182

-57.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$38.22 MX$667

19.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.84 MX$137

11.73%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.20 MX$55.7

-7.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.37 MX$23.87

-49.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.91 MX$15.96

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.06 MX$35.87

22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.73 MX$65.0

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.39 MX$24.17

54.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.68 MX$46.78

-32.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.47 MX$25.56

48.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.43 MX$42.43

-7.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.66 MX$168

107.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.10 MX$141

-55.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.93 MX$173

36.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.40 MX$41.79

35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.52 MX$26.50

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.31 MX$22.83

77.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.31 MX$22.84

58.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.57 MX$27.36

-1.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.03 MX$18.01

41.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.32 MX$23.11

-25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.99 MX$17.29

-51.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.12 MX$71.8

5.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$10.12 MX$176

83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.63 MX$28.46

14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$3.20 MX$55.8

-17.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.60 MX$10.47

136.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.57 MX$44.83

23.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.54 MX$26.85

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$11.84 MX$207

17.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.33 MX$23.19

0.75%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$23.7K MX$412.8K

17.42%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.2K MX$422.5K

37.79%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$31.48 MX$549

290.88%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$23.89 MX$417

-42.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$20.89 MX$364

-12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$36.45 MX$636

66.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$15.91 MX$278

7.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.14 MX$54.7

182.48%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$191 MX$3,338

259.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,306 MX$110.0K

150.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$49.48 MX$863

19.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$42.26 MX$737

-17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$97.5 MX$1,700

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$80.8 MX$1,409

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$509 MX$8,871

22.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$396 MX$6,898

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$916 MX$16.0K

121.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$763 MX$13.3K

96.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,170 MX$37.8K

59.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,053 MX$18.4K

140.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$669 MX$11.7K

-26.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $509 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $247 per month, with Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $509 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $191 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 $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,090 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga versus $1,264 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.