Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Tapachula versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Tapachula versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,536 in Tapachula versus $2,822 in Phuket.

Living in Tapachula costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tapachula 15% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$192

$4.35 ฿146

144.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.91 MX$830

$32.45 ฿1,093

41.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 MX$161

$8.42 ฿283

5.82%

Cappuccino

$3.97 MX$71.8

$2.81 ฿94.5

41.28%

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

$1.52 MX$27.48

$0.87 ฿29.46

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$19.52

$0.46 ฿15.48

134.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MX$49.34

$2.59 ฿87.0

5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 MX$67.3

$3.64 ฿123

2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$29.84

$1.71 ฿57.5

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$46.53

$1.45 ฿48.69

77.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$30.00

$1.56 ฿52.5

6.41%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$45.75

$2.10 ฿70.7

20.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$151

$19.53 ฿657

-57.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$151

$3.40 ฿114

145.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.75 MX$212

$11.14 ฿375

5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 MX$44.49

$2.83 ฿95.4

-13.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$27.39

$1.62 ฿54.6

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$31.15

$2.22 ฿74.9

-22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$33.03

$2.15 ฿72.3

-14.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.09

$1.49 ฿50.2

37.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.27

$1.33 ฿44.65

46.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$26.59

$1.07 ฿35.92

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$20.60

$0.51 ฿17.10

123.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$78.3

$4.38 ฿148

-1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 MX$181

$18.77 ฿632

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$32.11

$1.74 ฿58.6

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$56.6

$2.78 ฿93.5

12.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MX$13.10

$2.17 ฿73.0

-66.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿750

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 MX$50.6

$3.02 ฿102

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 MX$32.29

$1.06 ฿35.63

68.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.24 MX$203

$3.71 ฿125

202.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$25.63

$1.43 ฿48.16

-0.70%

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

$18.8K MX$340.5K

$26.3K ฿887.1K

-28.50%

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

$24.6K MX$444.1K

$26.2K ฿882.3K

-6.23%

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

$65.2 MX$1,178

$96.7 ฿3,254

-32.57%

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

$25.73 MX$465

$11.41 ฿384

125.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.38 MX$603

$17.11 ฿576

95.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.87 MX$576

$52.8 ฿1,778

-39.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.47 MX$370

$11.07 ฿373

84.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$81.9

$7.65 ฿258

-40.78%

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

$203 MX$3,667

$555 ฿18.7K

-63.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,611 MX$83.3K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-59.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MX$1,073

$63.4 ฿2,135

-6.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.15 MX$671

$28.61 ฿963

29.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MX$1,681

$96.7 ฿3,256

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,665

$88.6 ฿2,983

3.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MX$12.5K

$735 ฿24.7K

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MX$6,414

$458 ฿15.4K

-22.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 MX$21.4K

$2,102 ฿70.8K

-43.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 MX$14.2K

$1,187 ฿40.0K

-34.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,841 MX$33.3K

$3,493 ฿117.6K

-47.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,105 MX$20.0K

$2,491 ฿83.9K

-55.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

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 Tapachula: October 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tapachula and $735 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Tapachula vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $263 vs $268, with Tapachula cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tapachula vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapachula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,707 in Tapachula and $1,785 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $693 in Tapachula versus $735 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Tapachula versus $555 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapachula – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,138 in Tapachula versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tapachula 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, Tapachula 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 Tapachula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.