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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,837 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,527 in Toluca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Toluca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Toluca 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$9.33 MX$162

-51.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$41.89 MX$727

11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$7.97 MX$138

6.52%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.80 MX$48.64

10.00%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.12 MX$19.36

-39.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.86 MX$14.95

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.14 MX$37.15

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.35 MX$58.2

8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.38 MX$23.87

58.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$3.29 MX$57.1

-44.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.86 MX$32.34

19.89%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.62 MX$45.40

-14.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$5.60 MX$97.1

250.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.68 MX$168

-61.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$12.07 MX$209

11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$4.00 MX$69.4

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.66 MX$28.80

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.92 MX$33.24

25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.18 MX$37.80

-8.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.49 MX$43.24

-38.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$2.38 MX$41.36

-39.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.79 MX$31.08

-43.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.98 MX$16.96

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.86 MX$84.3

-12.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$13.17 MX$229

45.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.99 MX$34.48

-7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.29 MX$57.1

-16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.61 MX$10.64

132.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.13 MX$54.4

-4.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$2.17 MX$37.71

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$7.76 MX$135

79.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.24 MX$21.49

4.03%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$27.9K MX$484.6K

0.40%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$28.6K MX$495.5K

17.34%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$47.87 MX$831

154.82%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$21.29 MX$369

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$34.51 MX$599

-45.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$50.5 MX$876

21.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$22.74 MX$395

-25.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$6.85 MX$119

29.78%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$167 MX$2,895

314.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$5,084 MX$88.2K

217.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$54.8 MX$951

5.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$60.5 MX$1,049

-41.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$95.0 MX$1,649

19.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$104 MX$1,801

-20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$656 MX$11.4K

-7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$381 MX$6,620

17.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$936 MX$16.2K

116.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$744 MX$12.9K

100.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,404 MX$24.4K

155.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$965 MX$16.7K

167.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,364 MX$23.7K

-63.00%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Toluca: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $656 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 170% 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 $42.00 in Toluca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $288 per month, with Toluca 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 Toluca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toluca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 170% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $656 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $167 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Toluca versus $1,223 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.