Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,170 in Toluca versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Toluca versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,592 in Toluca versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Toluca costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Toluca 13% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 MX$157

$4.70 ฿154

91.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.08 MX$752

$45.37 ฿1,489

-5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$137

$8.43 ฿277

-6.76%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MX$50.6

$2.93 ฿96.1

-1.02%

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

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.69 ฿22.50

68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$15.16

$0.37 ฿12.04

135.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.65

$2.41 ฿79.0

-12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MX$60.5

$3.72 ฿122

-6.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.97

$2.23 ฿73.3

-35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$59.3

$1.83 ฿60.1

85.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.07

$2.17 ฿71.1

-10.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.41

$2.21 ฿72.6

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 MX$101

$19.74 ฿648

-70.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 MX$177

$3.63 ฿119

178.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$13.53 ฿444

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 MX$73.9

$3.28 ฿108

28.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.68

$1.61 ฿52.9

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.98

$2.41 ฿79.0

-19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.86

$2.08 ฿68.4

9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$42.13

$1.53 ฿50.2

57.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 MX$39.96

$1.48 ฿48.58

54.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 MX$31.87

$0.99 ฿32.44

83.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.01

$0.51 ฿16.74

90.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.96 MX$86.7

$4.41 ฿145

12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 MX$235

$19.38 ฿636

-30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$33.21

$1.78 ฿58.4

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$58.7

$2.71 ฿89.0

23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.40

$1.37 ฿44.99

-52.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$3.02 ฿99.1

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 MX$38.36

$0.99 ฿32.63

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 MX$138

$14.10 ฿463

-43.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.00

$1.36 ฿44.71

-7.35%

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

$28.2K MX$493.3K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

0.15%

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

$28.0K MX$489.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-14.80%

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

$46.91 MX$819

$122 ฿3,993

-61.45%

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

$21.61 MX$377

$13.57 ฿445

59.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.03 MX$612

$18.31 ฿601

91.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 MX$897

$60.2 ฿1,976

-14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 MX$398

$17.14 ฿562

32.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 MX$121

$8.69 ฿285

-20.60%

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

$170 MX$2,977

$693 ฿22.8K

-75.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,989 MX$87.1K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-68.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 MX$960

$59.5 ฿1,953

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 MX$1,054

$34.77 ฿1,141

73.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 MX$1,635

$115 ฿3,760

-18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MX$1,784

$83.3 ฿2,733

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$613 ฿20.1K

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,538

$437 ฿14.3K

-14.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.2K

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-55.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 MX$13.1K

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-50.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,396 MX$24.4K

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-62.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 MX$17.1K

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-62.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,345 MX$23.5K

$508 ฿16.7K

164.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

5.33

108.63%

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

Last update for Toluca: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Toluca and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 165% 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 Toluca vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $293, with Phuket 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

Toluca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toluca is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Toluca pays 165% 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: $660 in Toluca versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $170 in Toluca versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toluca – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,170 in Toluca versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toluca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Toluca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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