Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,326 in Tampico versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Tampico versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Tampico versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Tampico is roughly 8% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tampico 3% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 MX$147

$4.41 ฿147

93.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.85 MX$791

$32.26 ฿1,077

42.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 MX$149

$8.93 ฿298

-3.25%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MX$55.6

$2.90 ฿96.6

11.38%

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

$1.34 MX$23.10

$0.88 ฿29.38

52.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.48

$0.48 ฿16.06

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$2.35 ฿78.5

25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.6

$3.72 ฿124

16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.62

$1.87 ฿62.3

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 MX$76.4

$1.47 ฿48.94

201.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.68

$1.55 ฿51.8

-3.87%

Eggs

$4.36 MX$75.2

$2.10 ฿70.1

107.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 MX$92.0

$19.59 ฿654

-72.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 MX$187

$3.42 ฿114

216.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 MX$245

$11.38 ฿380

24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 MX$62.9

$2.98 ฿99.6

22.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MX$21.82

$1.68 ฿56.2

-24.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.05

$2.21 ฿73.7

2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.22

$2.16 ฿72.1

10.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.11

$1.52 ฿50.9

49.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 MX$52.1

$1.34 ฿44.67

125.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 MX$39.27

$1.13 ฿37.67

101.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.39

$0.55 ฿18.24

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$78.7

$4.26 ฿142

7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 MX$192

$19.09 ฿637

-41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$34.00

$1.78 ฿59.4

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.1

$2.78 ฿92.9

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MX$14.42

$2.23 ฿74.4

-62.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.39 MX$507

$22.74 ฿759

29.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 MX$47.00

$3.03 ฿101

-9.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 MX$49.58

$1.02 ฿34.15

182.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.02 MX$207

$3.89 ฿130

209.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.52

$1.49 ฿49.77

-4.70%

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

$34.8K MX$599.9K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

30.90%

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

$25.5K MX$439.6K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-5.68%

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

$61.5 MX$1,060

$102 ฿3,420

-39.98%

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

$29.63 MX$511

$11.33 ฿378

161.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.15 MX$434

$17.40 ฿581

44.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.40 MX$783

$52.1 ฿1,738

-12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 MX$297

$11.07 ฿370

55.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$95.0

$7.69 ฿257

-28.35%

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

$246 MX$4,236

$561 ฿18.7K

-56.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,846 MX$83.6K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-57.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 MX$1,359

$63.0 ฿2,104

25.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 MX$1,218

$29.52 ฿986

139.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 MX$3,070

$98.0 ฿3,272

81.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,567

$88.5 ฿2,954

2.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 MX$9,623

$738 ฿24.6K

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 MX$7,099

$482 ฿16.1K

-14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 MX$18.8K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-48.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 MX$12.1K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-42.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,810 MX$31.2K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-49.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,393 MX$24.0K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-46.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 MX$10.1K

$494 ฿16.5K

18.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Tampico: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $558 in Tampico and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampico pays 19% 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: $46.00 in Tampico vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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

Tampico vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Tampico, 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: $558 in Tampico versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $246 in Tampico versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Tampico. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,326 in Tampico, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tampico. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tampico, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tampico 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tampico. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.