Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Villahermosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Villahermosa: $1,219 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket, Thailand
Villahermosa, Mexico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,219
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Villahermosa

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 Villahermosa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Villahermosa.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Villahermosa $1,219

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,057 in Villahermosa.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Villahermosa $2,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,895 in Villahermosa.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Villahermosa $2,895

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Villahermosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Villahermosa 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$10.57 MX$199
-57.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$35.43 MX$666
-8.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$10.57 MX$199
-16.65%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.38 MX$63.5
-16.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$1.23 MX$23.03
-29.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$1.17 MX$22.00
-58.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.84 MX$53.4
-9.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.36 MX$101
-31.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.73 MX$32.52
-4.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$1.75 MX$32.82
-16.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.31 MX$24.67
14.50%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.92 MX$36.03
8.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$8.45 MX$159
125.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.51 MX$198
-68.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$13.38 MX$251
-18.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.39 MX$63.8
-13.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.38 MX$25.96
22.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.64 MX$30.90
37.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.18 MX$22.14
76.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.65 MX$30.93
-8.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$1.34 MX$25.10
2.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$1.31 MX$24.71
-18.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.24 MX$23.33
-58.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.42 MX$121
-34.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$9.62 MX$181
95.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.70 MX$50.8
-32.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$6.42 MX$121
-55.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$0.55 MX$10.39
163.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$23.50 MX$442
141.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.14 MX$40.19
41.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$2.17 MX$40.82
-53.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$10.82 MX$203
-65.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.35 MX$25.38
8.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$22.9K MX$429.6K
17.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$26.6K MX$499.6K
0.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$62.4 MX$1,173
54.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$28.41 MX$534
-60.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$32.67 MX$614
-48.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$50.0 MX$940
34.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.32 MX$81.2
73.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$303 MX$5,690
57.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$4,331 MX$81.4K
160.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$63.7 MX$1,198
-2.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$75.6 MX$1,421
24.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$58.1 MX$1,092
47.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$476 MX$8,941
50.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$441 MX$8,290
11.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,589 MX$29.9K
21.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,159 MX$21.8K
23.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,205 MX$22.6K
152.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Villahermosa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
0
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Villahermosa
$441 10.1% $50
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Villahermosa
$277 4% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Villahermosa
$124 0.8% $1
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Villahermosa
$89 * 27.1% $33
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Villahermosa
$191 57.2% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Villahermosa
$59 28.7% $24
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Villahermosa
$39 45.2% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $476 in Villahermosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Villahermosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $277 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇽 Villahermosa
🕒 Local time
02:06 2:06 AM
13:06 1:06 PM
13 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
340,060
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Villahermosa 16,880 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Villahermosa

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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Villahermosa cheaper than Phuket?
Villahermosa is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,828 in Villahermosa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Villahermosa?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $476 in Villahermosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $303 in Villahermosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Villahermosa?
Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $2,000 enough for either Phuket or Villahermosa?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Villahermosa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Villahermosa?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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