Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Veracruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Veracruz: $1,035 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Veracruz
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Veracruz Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Veracruz

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Veracruz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Veracruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,035 in Veracruz.

Phuket $1,207
Veracruz $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,641 in Veracruz.

Phuket $2,037
Veracruz $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,246 in Veracruz.

Phuket $2,867
Veracruz $2,246

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Veracruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Veracruz 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$9.46 MX$175

-51.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$43.45 MX$803

-25.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$8.16 MX$151

4.78%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.80 MX$51.8

-2.86%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.45 MX$26.71

-35.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.79 MX$14.54

-37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.13 MX$39.42

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.82 MX$70.6

0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.54 MX$28.42

12.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.45 MX$45.25

-41.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.78 MX$32.90

-14.04%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.19 MX$40.53

-0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$4.98 MX$92.0

284.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.75 MX$106

-42.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.40 MX$174

18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.62 MX$48.47

12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.32 MX$24.35

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.96 MX$36.29

17.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.59 MX$29.43

33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.34 MX$24.79

14.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.03 MX$37.60

-33.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.17 MX$21.67

-4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.01 MX$18.62

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.35 MX$80.4

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$7.98 MX$148

127.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.42 MX$26.19

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.68 MX$49.45

4.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.51 MX$9.42

335.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$29.70 MX$549

-25.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.44 MX$45.10

19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.62 MX$29.96

-37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.72 MX$124

-43.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.41 MX$26.08

5.67%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$21.4K MX$394.8K

24.88%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$23.9K MX$441.6K

11.76%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$60.8 MX$1,123

63.52%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$18.51 MX$342

-39.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$23.58 MX$436

-26.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$29.98 MX$554

74.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$10.47 MX$194

3.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$4.98 MX$92.0

52.01%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$162 MX$2,985

245.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$3,300 MX$61.0K

248.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$57.9 MX$1,071

8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$31.20 MX$577

-8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$101 MX$1,863

-4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$77.4 MX$1,430

13.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$404 MX$7,470

80.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$351 MX$6,489

30.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$610 MX$11.3K

243.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$638 MX$11.8K

91.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$680 MX$12.6K

409.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$560 MX$10.3K

344.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$832 MX$15.4K

-40.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.96

-49.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veracruz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Veracruz

$351 33.9% 23.7% $109

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Veracruz

$218 21% 18.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Veracruz

$103 9.9% 19.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Veracruz

$120 11.6% 3% $3.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Veracruz

$161 15.6% 32.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Veracruz

$40 3.9% 40.8% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Veracruz

$42 4.1% 8.7% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $404 in Veracruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veracruz pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Veracruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $218, with Veracruz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Veracruz

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

07:31 7:31 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

405,952

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Veracruz 16,610 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Veracruz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Veracruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veracruz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Veracruz. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $404 in Veracruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $162 in Veracruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,035 in Veracruz versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Veracruz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Veracruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Veracruz 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 Veracruz 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 Veracruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.