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: $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,742 in Tampico versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,390 in Tampico versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tampico costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tampico 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 MX$112

$4.70 ฿154

37.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.92 MX$727

$45.37 ฿1,483

-7.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 MX$104

$8.43 ฿276

-28.94%

Cappuccino

$3.34 MX$57.8

$2.93 ฿95.7

13.99%

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

$0.86 MX$14.93

$0.69 ฿22.42

24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.26

$0.37 ฿12.00

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MX$24.69

$2.41 ฿78.7

-41.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MX$36.30

$3.72 ฿122

-43.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$2.23 ฿73.0

-34.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 MX$67.4

$1.83 ฿59.9

112.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.79

$2.17 ฿70.9

-28.57%

Eggs

$3.98 MX$69.0

$2.21 ฿72.4

80.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 MX$77.5

$19.74 ฿645

-77.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 MX$147

$3.63 ฿119

133.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 MX$191

$13.53 ฿442

-18.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MX$47.99

$3.28 ฿107

-15.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MX$20.78

$1.61 ฿52.7

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.41

$2.41 ฿78.7

-27.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$2.08 ฿68.1

-23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.76

$1.53 ฿49.97

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.68

$1.48 ฿48.41

46.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$28.48

$0.99 ฿32.32

65.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.52

$0.51 ฿16.68

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.41 ฿144

-3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 MX$188

$19.38 ฿634

-44.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.50

$1.78 ฿58.1

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 MX$45.01

$2.71 ฿88.7

-4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.28

$1.37 ฿44.83

-43.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 MX$458

$11.39 ฿372

132.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.01

$3.02 ฿98.7

-11.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.15

$0.99 ฿32.51

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MX$85.6

$14.10 ฿461

-64.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.36 ฿44.55

-2.21%

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

$41.7K MX$722.3K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

47.79%

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

$22.0K MX$380.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.19%

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

$79.0 MX$1,369

$122 ฿3,978

-35.07%

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

$25.85 MX$448

$13.57 ฿444

90.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 MX$415

$18.31 ฿599

30.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 MX$673

$60.2 ฿1,969

-35.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 MX$274

$17.14 ฿560

-7.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 MX$89.9

$8.69 ฿284

-40.28%

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

$238 MX$4,122

$693 ฿22.7K

-65.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,662 MX$63.5K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-76.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 MX$1,468

$59.5 ฿1,946

42.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 MX$1,087

$34.77 ฿1,137

80.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 MX$2,787

$115 ฿3,746

40.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MX$1,362

$83.3 ฿2,723

-5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$8,695

$613 ฿20.0K

-18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MX$5,496

$437 ฿14.3K

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 MX$14.2K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-59.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,682 MX$29.1K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-55.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,410 MX$24.4K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-46.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 MX$10.3K

$508 ฿16.6K

17.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

5.33

120.45%

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

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Tampico and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampico pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Tampico vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $293 per month, with Tampico 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

Tampico is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tampico pays 18% 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: $502 in Tampico versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Tampico 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 11% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tampico 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, 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.