Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Cristobal de las Casas and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in San Cristobal de las Casas: $925 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in San Cristobal de las Casas
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San Cristobal de las Casas Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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San Cristobal de las Casas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$925

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Cristobal de las Casas and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,207 in Phuket.

San Cristobal de las Casas $925
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,420 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $2,037 in Phuket.

San Cristobal de las Casas $1,420
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,915 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $2,867 in Phuket.

San Cristobal de las Casas $1,915
Phuket $2,867

Living in San Cristobal de las Casas costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Cristobal de las Casas 31% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 MX$99.0

$4.58 ฿153

17.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.82 MX$514

$32.48 ฿1,086

-14.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 MX$112

$8.55 ฿286

-29.01%

Cappuccino

$2.48 MX$45.91

$2.72 ฿91.0

-8.82%

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

$1.62 MX$29.93

$0.94 ฿31.25

72.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.08

$0.49 ฿16.39

110.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$51.8

$2.59 ฿86.6

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$59.8

$3.83 ฿128

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.10

$1.74 ฿58.1

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 MX$66.1

$1.43 ฿47.82

150.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$29.62

$1.53 ฿51.0

4.58%

Eggs

$2.27 MX$41.91

$2.17 ฿72.7

4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 MX$124

$19.15 ฿640

-65.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 MX$76.0

$3.30 ฿110

24.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 MX$118

$11.14 ฿372

-42.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$60.9

$2.95 ฿98.5

11.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 MX$38.81

$1.68 ฿56.1

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.80

$2.30 ฿76.8

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MX$26.74

$2.13 ฿71.3

-31.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$29.75

$1.53 ฿51.1

5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.36 ฿45.55

30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 MX$33.56

$1.12 ฿37.44

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$29.68

$0.55 ฿18.24

192.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 MX$34.79

$4.26 ฿142

-55.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 MX$195

$18.19 ฿608

-41.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MX$44.35

$1.74 ฿58.2

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.27

$2.79 ฿93.3

-29.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$10.41

$2.22 ฿74.1

-74.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$22.06 ฿737

26.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$49.67

$2.91 ฿97.3

-7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 MX$51.6

$1.01 ฿33.79

176.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$25.66

$1.49 ฿49.85

-6.71%

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

$19.0K MX$351.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-28.67%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$32.74 MX$605

$99.4 ฿3,321

-67.05%

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

$14.82 MX$274

$11.28 ฿377

31.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.42 MX$377

$17.36 ฿580

17.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.92 MX$423

$52.3 ฿1,747

-56.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MX$435

$10.85 ฿362

116.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 MX$124

$7.57 ฿253

-11.10%

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

$208 MX$3,843

$558 ฿18.7K

-62.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,657 MX$49.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-76.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.35 MX$358

$62.9 ฿2,102

-69.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.33 MX$505

$28.58 ฿955

-4.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,765

$96.1 ฿3,213

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.0 MX$999

$88.1 ฿2,943

-38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 MX$8,014

$729 ฿24.4K

-40.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MX$5,938

$460 ฿15.4K

-30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 MX$16.4K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-57.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 MX$9,741

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-56.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$835 MX$15.4K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-75.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 MX$12.3K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-73.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 MX$7,451

$493 ฿16.5K

-18.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.8

5.57

75.94%

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

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Cristobal de las Casas

$321 34.7%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 43.2% $139

Groceries & Markets

San Cristobal de las Casas

$242 26.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 10.4% $25

Eating Out

San Cristobal de las Casas

$122 13.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 0.5% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

San Cristobal de las Casas

$88 9.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 40.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Cristobal de las Casas

$68 7.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 88.3% $60

Getting Around

San Cristobal de las Casas

$47 5.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 16.8% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

San Cristobal de las Casas

$36 3.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 85.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in San Cristobal de las Casas and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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: $28.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $268 per month, with San Cristobal de las Casas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 San Cristobal de las Casas

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

09:17 9:17 AM

13 h ahead of San Cristobal de las Casas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,509

79,308

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Cristobal de las Casas Phuket 17,020 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

San Cristobal de las Casas
Phuket

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

San Cristobal de las Casas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Cristobal de las Casas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Phuket. 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: $434 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $558 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 $925 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Cristobal de las Casas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Cristobal de las Casas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Cristobal de las Casas 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, San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.