Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Tepic and in Phuket: $1,221 and $1,278 a month, rent and utilities included.

Tepic, Mexico
Phuket, Thailand
Tepic
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,221
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tepic and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tepic and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Tepic versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Tepic $1,221
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Tepic versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Tepic $1,884
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,548 in Tepic versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Tepic $2,548
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Tepic costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tepic 10% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.22 MX$246
$4.47 ฿151
195.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.16 MX$803
$32.41 ฿1,093
33.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.03 MX$168
$8.81 ฿297
2.50%
Cappuccino
$3.17 MX$59.0
$2.83 ฿95.4
12.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.38
$0.87 ฿29.41
81.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 MX$21.20
$0.49 ฿16.65
132.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 MX$50.3
$2.56 ฿86.3
5.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.98 MX$92.8
$3.68 ฿124
35.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.91
$1.66 ฿55.9
-6.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 MX$43.80
$1.46 ฿49.31
60.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.31
$1.50 ฿50.5
4.67%
Eggs
$2.12 MX$39.47
$2.09 ฿70.5
1.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.91 MX$91.5
$19.07 ฿643
-74.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.69 MX$180
$3.30 ฿111
193.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.54 MX$215
$10.91 ฿368
5.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 MX$49.84
$2.93 ฿98.9
-8.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 MX$28.66
$1.69 ฿57.0
-8.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.07
$2.25 ฿75.8
-13.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.76 MX$32.81
$2.08 ฿70.0
-15.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.41
$1.51 ฿51.0
36.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 MX$34.31
$1.38 ฿46.52
33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 MX$29.01
$1.07 ฿35.96
45.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 MX$19.32
$0.52 ฿17.51
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.36 MX$81.2
$4.20 ฿142
3.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.38 MX$193
$18.79 ฿634
-44.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.45
$1.82 ฿61.5
-57.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 MX$62.3
$2.84 ฿95.8
17.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 MX$14.36
$1.45 ฿48.98
-46.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.37 MX$565
$56.7 ฿1,912
-46.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.19 MX$40.84
$3.02 ฿102
-27.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 MX$28.12
$1.02 ฿34.33
48.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.30 MX$173
$3.69 ฿125
152.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 MX$26.14
$1.47 ฿49.76
-4.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.0K
$26.8K ฿903.4K
-20.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K MX$441.2K
$26.7K ฿900.5K
-11.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$43.90 MX$817
$96.4 ฿3,251
-54.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.02 MX$224
$11.26 ฿380
6.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.28 MX$545
$16.85 ฿568
73.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.78 MX$592
$67.2 ฿2,268
-52.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.42 MX$324
$10.73 ฿362
62.35%
Cinema Ticket
$5.92 MX$110
$7.50 ฿253
-21.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 MX$4,410
$476 ฿16.1K
-50.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,948 MX$185.2K
$11.3K ฿380.0K
-11.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 MX$1,045
$62.4 ฿2,104
-10.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.24 MX$749
$28.41 ฿958
41.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 MX$1,936
$94.3 ฿3,181
10.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.6 MX$1,463
$85.8 ฿2,895
-8.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$567 MX$10.6K
$716 ฿24.2K
-20.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$467 MX$8,694
$491 ฿16.6K
-4.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,115 MX$20.8K
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-42.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$766 MX$14.3K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-46.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,934 MX$36.0K
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-53.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,128 MX$21.0K
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-62.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tepic
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 MX$12.1K
$502 ฿16.9K
29.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.53
5.57
107.00%

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

Last update for Tepic: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tepic
$467
Phuket
$491 5.1% $24
Groceries & Markets
Tepic
$251
Phuket
$266 6.2% $16
Eating Out
Tepic
$205
Phuket
$122 40.7% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Tepic
$126
Phuket
$122 2.9% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tepic
$85
Phuket
$124 46.1% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Tepic
$44
Phuket
$82 88.6% $39
Getting Around
Tepic
$43
Phuket
$71 63.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $567 in Tepic and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepic pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Tepic vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $266, with Tepic cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Tepic
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
17:56 5:56 PM
07:56 7:56 AM
14 h ahead of Tepic
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
371,387
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tepic Phuket 15,880 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tepic
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Tepic vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tepic cheaper than Phuket?
Tepic is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and groceries. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tepic or Phuket?
Average pay runs 30% higher in Tepic, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Tepic and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $567 in Tepic versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $237 in Tepic versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Tepic and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 enough for either Tepic or Phuket?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tepic gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Tepic or in Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Tepic or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tepic 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.

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