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: $1,119 in Tampico versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,753 in Tampico versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,387 in Tampico versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tampico costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tampico 16% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 MX$114

$4.55 ฿153

42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.94 MX$753

$46.18 ฿1,554

-7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 MX$107

$8.84 ฿298

-30.77%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MX$55.7

$3.06 ฿103

3.59%

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

$0.87 MX$15.23

$0.73 ฿24.42

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.47

$0.40 ฿13.40

92.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 MX$25.17

$2.43 ฿81.8

-41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MX$36.63

$3.78 ฿127

-44.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.25

$2.26 ฿76.0

-36.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 MX$69.5

$1.81 ฿60.9

118.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.36

$2.25 ฿75.8

-30.67%

Eggs

$4.05 MX$71.0

$2.25 ฿75.6

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 MX$79.3

$19.51 ฿656

-76.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 MX$147

$3.65 ฿123

130.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 MX$196

$13.05 ฿439

-14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.45

$3.23 ฿109

-17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MX$21.14

$1.62 ฿54.4

-25.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.56

$2.38 ฿80.2

-24.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$27.10

$2.03 ฿68.2

-24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.98

$1.53 ฿51.6

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.73

$1.50 ฿50.5

43.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$28.70

$0.98 ฿32.93

67.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.56

$0.52 ฿17.40

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.8

$4.44 ฿149

-6.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 MX$195

$18.32 ฿616

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 MX$32.10

$1.86 ฿62.7

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.33

$2.68 ฿90.2

-3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MX$13.61

$1.41 ฿47.49

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$455

$11.70 ฿394

121.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 MX$46.01

$3.11 ฿105

-15.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.30

$1.04 ฿35.08

131.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 MX$86.4

$14.11 ฿475

-65.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.27

$1.31 ฿44.13

1.53%

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

$41.7K MX$732.1K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

50.05%

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

$22.4K MX$392.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-32.61%

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

$78.8 MX$1,381

$122 ฿4,120

-35.67%

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

$25.61 MX$449

$13.59 ฿457

88.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.92 MX$420

$18.70 ฿629

27.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 MX$663

$60.5 ฿2,035

-37.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.00 MX$281

$16.98 ฿572

-5.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 MX$94.0

$9.07 ฿305

-40.90%

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

$242 MX$4,243

$706 ฿23.8K

-65.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,565 MX$62.5K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-77.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 MX$1,469

$58.6 ฿1,970

43.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 MX$1,098

$35.36 ฿1,190

77.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$160 MX$2,806

$115 ฿3,885

38.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 MX$1,374

$83.7 ฿2,818

-6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MX$8,932

$626 ฿21.1K

-18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MX$5,524

$445 ฿15.0K

-29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 MX$13.9K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-61.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 MX$10.7K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-58.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,968 MX$34.5K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-43.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 MX$20.2K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-55.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 MX$10.3K

$500 ฿16.8K

17.00%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Tampico and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampico pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tampico vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $289 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $509 in Tampico versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Tampico 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 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,119 in Tampico versus $1,250 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.