Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Toluca Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Toluca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,157 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,877 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,597 in Toluca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Toluca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Toluca 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.19 MX$159

-51.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$42.15 MX$729

8.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.82 MX$135

12.02%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.87 MX$49.66

3.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.16 MX$20.07

-40.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.82 MX$14.25

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.09 MX$36.13

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.38 MX$58.5

10.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.37 MX$23.73

56.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.35 MX$57.9

-45.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.95 MX$33.65

11.79%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.53 MX$43.76

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.86 MX$101

241.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.10 MX$175

-64.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.74 MX$203

15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.06 MX$70.3

-20.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.72 MX$29.83

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.91 MX$33.08

21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.25 MX$39.00

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.48 MX$42.96

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.39 MX$41.37

-38.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.87 MX$32.44

-47.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.01 MX$17.51

-52.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.03 MX$87.1

-13.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.96 MX$224

43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.96 MX$33.94

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.22 MX$55.7

-17.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.65 MX$11.26

118.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.12 MX$54.0

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.19 MX$37.94

-52.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.06 MX$140

72.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.25 MX$21.56

7.20%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.9K MX$482.5K

-0.35%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.7K MX$497.0K

16.20%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$47.26 MX$818

160.37%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$21.45 MX$371

-35.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$35.26 MX$610

-48.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$51.5 MX$890

17.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$22.41 MX$388

-23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.07 MX$122

25.46%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$171 MX$2,954

302.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,137 MX$88.9K

207.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$55.2 MX$954

7.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$61.2 MX$1,059

-43.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$94.9 MX$1,642

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$102 MX$1,756

-17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$658 MX$11.4K

-5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$378 MX$6,532

18.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$941 MX$16.3K

116.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$744 MX$12.9K

101.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,359 MX$23.5K

154.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$953 MX$16.5K

165.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,311 MX$22.7K

-62.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.12

-52.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Toluca: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $658 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 166% 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 $42.00 in Toluca. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $292, with Phuket 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 Toluca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toluca is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Toluca. 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 $658 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $171 in Toluca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toluca – 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 $1,157 in Toluca versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toluca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Toluca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Toluca 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 Toluca 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 Toluca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.