Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tulum Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tulum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,936 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,827 in Tulum.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tulum 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.40 MX$182

-55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$51.2 MX$897

-8.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.16 MX$143

8.33%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.70 MX$64.7

-18.92%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.21 MX$21.21

-38.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.11 MX$19.37

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.76 MX$48.32

-11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.98 MX$69.6

-9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.43 MX$25.08

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.18 MX$20.72

55.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.54 MX$27.02

45.45%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.99 MX$34.77

16.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.44 MX$95.2

261.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.00 MX$123

-47.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.52 MX$114

100.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.16 MX$37.85

56.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.42 MX$24.85

15.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.40 MX$24.48

72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.36 MX$23.86

49.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.18 MX$38.07

-28.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.95 MX$34.14

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.08 MX$18.83

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.00 MX$17.43

-51.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.28 MX$74.8

3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.79 MX$154

114.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.31 MX$22.95

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.30 MX$22.69

111.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.11 MX$19.47

26.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.06 MX$36.09

51.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.23 MX$39.06

-55.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.16 MX$90.2

173.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.30 MX$22.79

3.85%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.8K MX$276.4K

72.08%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.2K MX$371.3K

55.15%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$84.2 MX$1,474

48.36%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.28 MX$390

-39.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$29.45 MX$515

-37.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$33.29 MX$583

84.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.80 MX$277

6.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.65 MX$81.5

97.63%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$204 MX$3,564

242.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,835 MX$49.6K

450.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$25.94 MX$454

122.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$31.52 MX$552

11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$80.8 MX$1,414

39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$45.62 MX$798

89.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$699 MX$12.2K

-11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$397 MX$6,945

12.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,432 MX$25.1K

43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,256 MX$22.0K

18.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,268 MX$57.2K

15.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,855 MX$32.5K

42.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$781 MX$13.7K

-32.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-51.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tulum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $699 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 49% 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 $51.0 in Tulum. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $196, with Tulum 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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tulum earns 49% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $699 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $204 in Tulum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tulum 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 Tulum 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 Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.