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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,314 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $2,221 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $3,127 in Tulum.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Tulum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tulum 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$8.57 MX$145

-48.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$58.7 MX$995

-40.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$9.02 MX$153

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$4.23 MX$71.7

-29.08%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.19 MX$20.09

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.24 MX$21.03

-62.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.03 MX$51.3

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.83 MX$64.9

-2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.70 MX$28.73

7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$2.16 MX$36.65

-34.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.86 MX$31.44

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.03 MX$34.33

4.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$5.81 MX$98.4

240.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$8.31 MX$141

-58.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$9.41 MX$159

17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.68 MX$45.49

8.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.61 MX$27.36

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.61 MX$27.33

40.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.60 MX$27.11

31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$2.47 MX$41.93

-40.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.89 MX$32.04

-25.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.46 MX$24.75

-25.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.86 MX$14.49

-37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$4.64 MX$78.6

-3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$9.03 MX$153

107.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.40 MX$23.77

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.40 MX$23.71

110.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.46 MX$24.70

54.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$2.87 MX$48.64

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$2.57 MX$43.52

-57.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$6.05 MX$102

-36.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.51 MX$25.54

-1.32%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$22.9K MX$388.8K

19.60%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$26.0K MX$440.0K

5.96%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$113 MX$1,912

-9.77%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$17.77 MX$301

-36.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$37.96 MX$643

-53.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$36.62 MX$621

47.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.02 MX$119

11.82%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$272 MX$4,615

111.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$3,141 MX$53.2K

270.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$44.35 MX$752

47.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$34.57 MX$586

-16.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$104 MX$1,770

-5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$63.4 MX$1,075

42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$638 MX$10.8K

18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$563 MX$9,541

-13.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,628 MX$27.6K

28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$1,381 MX$23.4K

-12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$3,409 MX$57.8K

5.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,892 MX$32.1K

37.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$830 MX$14.1K

-39.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.8

-48.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Tulum: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $638 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 65% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Tulum. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $234, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Tulum. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $638 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $272 in Tulum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $59.0 in Tulum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,314 in Tulum, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tulum. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tulum, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Tulum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.