Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,936 in Tulum versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,827 in Tulum versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 22% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 MX$182

$4.63 ฿151

124.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 MX$897

$46.84 ฿1,532

9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$143

$8.84 ฿289

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.7

$3.00 ฿98.0

23.33%

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

$1.21 MX$21.21

$0.74 ฿24.25

63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.37

$0.37 ฿11.95

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 MX$48.32

$2.44 ฿79.8

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 MX$69.6

$3.61 ฿118

10.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.08

$2.26 ฿73.9

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.72

$1.84 ฿60.1

-35.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$27.02

$2.24 ฿73.4

-31.25%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.77

$2.32 ฿75.7

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.44 MX$95.2

$19.67 ฿643

-72.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 MX$123

$3.65 ฿119

91.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 MX$114

$13.10 ฿428

-50.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.85

$3.39 ฿111

-36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.85

$1.64 ฿53.7

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.48

$2.41 ฿79.0

-41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.86

$2.03 ฿66.4

-33.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.07

$1.56 ฿50.9

39.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.14

$1.50 ฿48.94

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$1.02 ฿33.50

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.43

$0.49 ฿16.00

104.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.8

$4.45 ฿145

-3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.79 MX$154

$18.88 ฿617

-53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.95

$1.78 ฿58.1

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.69

$2.75 ฿90.1

-52.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 MX$19.47

$1.40 ฿45.81

-20.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$36.09

$3.12 ฿102

-33.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MX$39.06

$1.00 ฿32.67

123.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MX$90.2

$14.09 ฿461

-63.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.79

$1.35 ฿44.19

-3.70%

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

$15.8K MX$276.4K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-41.89%

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

$21.2K MX$371.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-35.55%

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

$84.2 MX$1,474

$125 ฿4,087

-32.60%

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

$22.28 MX$390

$13.57 ฿444

64.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 MX$515

$18.52 ฿606

59.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.29 MX$583

$61.5 ฿2,010

-45.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 MX$277

$16.84 ฿551

-6.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$81.5

$9.19 ฿300

-49.40%

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

$204 MX$3,564

$698 ฿22.8K

-70.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,835 MX$49.6K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-81.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.94 MX$454

$57.8 ฿1,889

-55.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.52 MX$552

$35.24 ฿1,152

-10.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 MX$1,414

$113 ฿3,699

-28.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.62 MX$798

$86.4 ฿2,825

-47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 MX$12.2K

$616 ฿20.1K

13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,945

$446 ฿14.6K

-11.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 MX$25.1K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-30.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$22.0K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-15.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$57.2K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-13.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 MX$32.5K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-29.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$781 MX$13.7K

$524 ฿17.1K

49.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

106.38%

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

Last update for Tulum: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Tulum and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Tulum vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $292, with Tulum 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

Tulum vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tulum pays 49% 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: $699 in Tulum versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Tulum versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tulum 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, Tulum 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 Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.