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: $1,231 in Saltillo versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,990 in Saltillo versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Saltillo versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Saltillo costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.10 MX$141

$4.55 ฿153

78.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.68 MX$778

$46.18 ฿1,553

-3.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 MX$111

$8.84 ฿297

-27.94%

Cappuccino

$3.10 MX$54.0

$3.06 ฿103

1.31%

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

$1.24 MX$21.67

$0.73 ฿24.40

69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.38

$0.40 ฿13.39

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MX$37.72

$2.43 ฿81.8

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.2

$3.78 ฿127

-2.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$25.67

$2.26 ฿76.0

-34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.6

$1.81 ฿60.9

79.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.06

$2.25 ฿75.8

-15.56%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$43.97

$2.25 ฿75.5

12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 MX$182

$19.51 ฿656

-46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 MX$141

$3.65 ฿123

122.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 MX$171

$13.05 ฿439

-24.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$46.27

$3.23 ฿109

-17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MX$20.72

$1.62 ฿54.4

-26.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.98

$2.38 ฿80.1

-32.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.72

$2.03 ฿68.1

-7.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.06

$1.53 ฿51.6

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.56

$1.50 ฿50.5

59.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MX$21.20

$0.98 ฿32.91

24.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.17

$0.52 ฿17.39

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 MX$62.0

$4.44 ฿149

-19.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 MX$188

$18.32 ฿616

-40.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MX$38.89

$1.86 ฿62.7

19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 MX$25.48

$2.68 ฿90.1

-45.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.30

$1.41 ฿47.46

-41.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.01 MX$279

$11.70 ฿393

36.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MX$44.84

$3.11 ฿105

-17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.04 ฿35.06

74.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$14.11 ฿474

-24.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.61

$1.31 ฿44.10

-0.76%

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

$14.7K MX$256.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-47.05%

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

$24.5K MX$426.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-26.32%

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

$46.41 MX$808

$122 ฿4,118

-62.10%

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

$24.21 MX$422

$13.59 ฿457

78.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.61 MX$516

$18.70 ฿629

58.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 MX$1,157

$60.5 ฿2,034

9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 MX$231

$16.98 ฿571

-22.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 MX$110

$9.07 ฿305

-30.10%

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

$240 MX$4,184

$706 ฿23.8K

-65.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,536 MX$44.2K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-83.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$938

$58.6 ฿1,969

-7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 MX$971

$35.36 ฿1,189

57.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 MX$1,457

$115 ฿3,883

-27.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,115

$83.7 ฿2,816

45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 MX$9,598

$626 ฿21.0K

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 MX$8,422

$445 ฿15.0K

8.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 MX$15.8K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-55.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 MX$17.0K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-34.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$580 MX$10.1K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-83.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$923 MX$16.1K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-64.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$814 MX$14.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

62.78%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Saltillo and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saltillo pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Saltillo vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $289 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.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Saltillo, 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: $551 in Saltillo versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Saltillo versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,231 in Saltillo versus $1,250 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.