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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,379 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in San Cristobal de las Casas costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Cristobal de las Casas 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 MX$91.6

$4.55 ฿153

14.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.65 MX$467

$46.18 ฿1,554

-42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 MX$104

$8.84 ฿298

-32.81%

Cappuccino

$2.33 MX$40.82

$3.06 ฿103

-23.86%

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

$1.63 MX$28.62

$0.73 ฿24.42

123.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.42

$0.40 ฿13.40

147.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$42.72

$2.43 ฿81.8

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.9

$3.78 ฿127

29.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.38

$2.26 ฿76.0

-38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 MX$51.2

$1.81 ฿60.9

61.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.99

$2.25 ฿75.8

-31.56%

Eggs

$3.43 MX$60.2

$2.25 ฿75.6

52.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MX$121

$19.51 ฿656

-64.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 MX$71.7

$3.65 ฿123

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 MX$120

$13.05 ฿439

-47.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$3.23 ฿109

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$34.02

$1.62 ฿54.4

19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.72

$2.38 ฿80.2

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.54

$2.03 ฿68.2

-28.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 MX$29.01

$1.53 ฿51.6

7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.92

$1.50 ฿50.5

-5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$25.17

$0.98 ฿32.93

45.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.37

$0.52 ฿17.40

155.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 MX$32.98

$4.44 ฿149

-57.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 MX$188

$18.32 ฿616

-41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$34.37

$1.86 ฿62.7

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 MX$39.43

$2.68 ฿90.2

-16.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.56

$1.41 ฿47.49

-61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.18 MX$459

$11.70 ฿394

123.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 MX$46.83

$3.11 ฿105

-14.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.73

$1.04 ฿35.08

139.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 MX$145

$14.11 ฿475

-41.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$23.02

$1.31 ฿44.13

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

$16.1K MX$282.2K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-42.16%

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

$22.6K MX$396.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-32.04%

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

$33.07 MX$580

$122 ฿4,120

-72.99%

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

$19.79 MX$347

$13.59 ฿457

45.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.64 MX$344

$18.70 ฿629

5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.50 MX$377

$60.5 ฿2,035

-64.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.16 MX$283

$16.98 ฿572

-4.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 MX$115

$9.07 ฿305

-27.67%

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

$198 MX$3,472

$706 ฿23.8K

-71.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,513 MX$44.1K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-84.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.01 MX$456

$58.6 ฿1,970

-55.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.61 MX$554

$35.36 ฿1,190

-10.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MX$1,461

$115 ฿3,885

-27.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 MX$886

$83.7 ฿2,818

-39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 MX$7,487

$626 ฿21.1K

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 MX$5,283

$445 ฿15.0K

-32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 MX$15.1K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-57.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 MX$8,867

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-66.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 MX$15.2K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-75.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$679 MX$11.9K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-73.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$426 MX$7,468

$500 ฿16.8K

-14.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

5.33

93.81%

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

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in San Cristobal de las Casas and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $27.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $289 per month, with San Cristobal de las Casas 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

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

San Cristobal de las Casas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $427 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in San Cristobal de las Casas 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 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $892 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,250 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.