Cost of Living Comparison Between Saltillo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saltillo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Saltillo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,990 in Saltillo versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Saltillo versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Saltillo costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saltillo 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 MX$138

$4.70 ฿154

68.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.15 MX$765

$45.37 ฿1,483

-2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 MX$109

$8.43 ฿276

-25.03%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MX$53.6

$2.93 ฿95.7

5.46%

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

$1.25 MX$21.60

$0.69 ฿22.42

81.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.69

$0.37 ฿12.00

175.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MX$36.10

$2.41 ฿78.7

-13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MX$64.8

$3.72 ฿122

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.63

$2.23 ฿73.0

-33.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 MX$55.9

$1.83 ฿59.9

76.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.40

$2.17 ฿70.9

-16.59%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.59

$2.21 ฿72.4

14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 MX$178

$19.74 ฿645

-47.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 MX$145

$3.63 ฿119

130.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 MX$169

$13.53 ฿442

-27.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$44.98

$3.28 ฿107

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MX$21.00

$1.61 ฿52.7

-24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.84

$2.41 ฿78.7

-33.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.86

$2.08 ฿68.1

-8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.60

$1.53 ฿49.97

41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.65

$1.48 ฿48.41

70.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MX$20.34

$0.99 ฿32.32

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.89

$0.51 ฿16.68

101.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 MX$62.5

$4.41 ฿144

-18.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 MX$191

$19.38 ฿634

-43.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 MX$39.44

$1.78 ฿58.1

28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$2.71 ฿88.7

-48.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MX$13.11

$1.37 ฿44.83

-44.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.69 MX$272

$11.39 ฿372

37.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 MX$44.83

$3.02 ฿98.7

-14.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 MX$30.21

$0.99 ฿32.51

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 MX$184

$14.10 ฿461

-24.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.54

$1.36 ฿44.55

-8.82%

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

$14.7K MX$254.5K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-47.92%

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

$24.5K MX$424.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-25.56%

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

$45.66 MX$791

$122 ฿3,978

-62.48%

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

$24.43 MX$423

$13.57 ฿444

80.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 MX$500

$18.31 ฿599

57.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 MX$1,144

$60.2 ฿1,969

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.35 MX$231

$17.14 ฿560

-22.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 MX$107

$8.69 ฿284

-28.65%

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

$238 MX$4,123

$693 ฿22.7K

-65.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,588 MX$44.9K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-83.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 MX$963

$59.5 ฿1,946

-6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 MX$953

$34.77 ฿1,137

58.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MX$1,443

$115 ฿3,746

-27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,055

$83.3 ฿2,723

42.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 MX$9,609

$613 ฿20.0K

-9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MX$8,365

$437 ฿14.3K

10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 MX$16.0K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-36.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$581 MX$10.1K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-84.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$929 MX$16.1K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-64.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$838 MX$14.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

64.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

5.33

97.00%

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

Last update for Saltillo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Saltillo and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saltillo pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Saltillo vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $293 per month, with Saltillo 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

Saltillo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saltillo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saltillo pays 65% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $555 in Saltillo versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Saltillo versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,236 in Saltillo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saltillo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saltillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saltillo 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, Saltillo and Phuket 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 Saltillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.