Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlalnepantla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlalnepantla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,063 in Tlalnepantla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,696 in Tlalnepantla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,329 in Tlalnepantla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Tlalnepantla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tlalnepantla 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$10.69 MX$185

-57.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$48.31 MX$838

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$7.89 MX$137

7.60%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$3.59 MX$62.3

-14.21%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.32 MX$22.97

-48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.99 MX$17.11

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.90 MX$50.3

-16.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.87 MX$84.5

-25.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.40 MX$24.32

56.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$2.71 MX$47.10

-33.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.89 MX$32.80

17.99%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.54 MX$44.11

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.51 MX$165

106.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$8.18 MX$142

-54.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$11.82 MX$205

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.87 MX$49.76

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.71 MX$29.72

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.07 MX$35.93

16.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.98 MX$34.45

0.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.07 MX$35.92

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$2.19 MX$38.02

-33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.46 MX$25.26

-30.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$1.31 MX$22.76

-63.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.36 MX$75.6

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$16.77 MX$291

14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.69 MX$29.39

8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.70 MX$64.3

-25.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.61 MX$10.65

132.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$23.17 MX$402

-49.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.62 MX$28.11

85.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.23 MX$21.37

-14.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$5.31 MX$92.2

161.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.34 MX$23.26

-3.73%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$18.2K MX$316.5K

53.71%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$21.7K MX$376.5K

54.43%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$39.93 MX$693

205.48%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$27.72 MX$481

-49.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$34.11 MX$592

-44.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$36.25 MX$629

69.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$16.00 MX$278

5.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$6.50 MX$113

36.77%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$338 MX$5,867

104.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$3,529 MX$61.3K

357.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$57.8 MX$1,003

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$45.75 MX$794

-22.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$102 MX$1,778

10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$106 MX$1,846

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$484 MX$8,408

25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$260 MX$4,505

72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$652 MX$11.3K

211.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$430 MX$7,471

246.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$2,144 MX$37.2K

67.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,136 MX$19.7K

127.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,066 MX$18.5K

-52.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.34

-53.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Tlalnepantla: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $484 in Tlalnepantla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tlalnepantla pays 111% 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 $48.00 in Tlalnepantla. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $288, with Tlalnepantla 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 Tlalnepantla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlalnepantla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Tlalnepantla. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $484 in Tlalnepantla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $338 in Tlalnepantla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,063 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tlalnepantla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tlalnepantla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tlalnepantla 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 Tlalnepantla 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 Tlalnepantla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.