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: $1,162 in Toluca versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Toluca versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,594 in Toluca versus $3,291 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

$9.35 MX$163

$4.53 ฿153

106.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 MX$734

$46.36 ฿1,565

-8.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 MX$135

$8.65 ฿292

-10.52%

Cappuccino

$2.93 MX$51.0

$3.09 ฿104

-5.18%

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

$1.14 MX$19.87

$0.68 ฿22.89

67.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$14.08

$0.37 ฿12.44

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MX$37.70

$2.42 ฿81.6

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$58.3

$3.81 ฿129

-12.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.68

$2.18 ฿73.5

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 MX$58.6

$1.82 ฿61.3

85.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.52

$2.18 ฿73.5

-11.47%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.23

$2.24 ฿75.4

18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 MX$101

$19.93 ฿673

-70.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 MX$170

$3.64 ฿123

168.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 MX$207

$13.56 ฿458

-12.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$3.29 ฿111

26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.96

$1.69 ฿56.9

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.13

$2.33 ฿78.8

-13.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.87

$2.03 ฿68.4

9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 MX$43.22

$1.60 ฿54.0

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.56

$1.49 ฿50.5

60.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 MX$32.74

$1.01 ฿34.17

86.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.02

$0.48 ฿16.09

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$83.6

$4.45 ฿150

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 MX$225

$18.63 ฿629

-30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$34.01

$1.79 ฿60.3

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MX$59.1

$2.80 ฿94.4

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.54

$1.42 ฿47.90

-57.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.09 ฿104

4.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MX$39.35

$1.04 ฿35.19

117.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 MX$139

$13.63 ฿460

-41.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.75

$1.31 ฿44.23

-4.58%

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

$28.1K MX$489.4K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

3.09%

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

$28.3K MX$492.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-14.80%

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

$47.16 MX$821

$123 ฿4,157

-61.71%

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

$21.30 MX$371

$13.81 ฿466

54.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.91 MX$590

$18.52 ฿625

83.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 MX$882

$60.4 ฿2,037

-16.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.64 MX$394

$16.80 ฿567

34.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 MX$117

$8.89 ฿300

-24.41%

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

$169 MX$2,936

$687 ฿23.2K

-75.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,076 MX$88.3K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-67.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 MX$952

$57.6 ฿1,945

-5.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 MX$1,073

$34.66 ฿1,170

77.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 MX$1,638

$115 ฿3,879

-18.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 MX$1,785

$84.9 ฿2,865

20.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$11.2K

$618 ฿20.8K

4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,509

$443 ฿15.0K

-15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 MX$16.5K

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-53.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.9K

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-50.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,347 MX$23.4K

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-62.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$950 MX$16.5K

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-62.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,316 MX$22.9K

$503 ฿17.0K

161.86%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $644 in Toluca and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 162% 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 Toluca vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $292 per month, with Toluca 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

Toluca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toluca is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 162% higher in Toluca, 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: $644 in Toluca versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $169 in Toluca versus $687 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 $42.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,162 in Toluca versus $1,261 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.