My entire living room floor is ugly 17 3/4" x 17 3/4" tiles.  i broke two of the tiles somehow.

I eventually want to rip up all the tile and put in some of that fake hardwood stuff, but I need to remodel the kitchen first.  So, I am interested in just replacing these tiles for a few bucks to last a couple years until I can do it like I want.

Is it hard?  Will the new tiles be lower or higher than the existing one?  What do I need to know?

I have never done anything tile related.

I had to do that a couple years back.

I bought one of those osilating cutters from harbor frieght for 20 bucks, plus a couple of the cutters.

used one to cut the grout all the way around the tile and used an angle cutter to cut under it as far as I could. then hammered it to break it up and pop it out.
if they are adjcent, it was easy to get a chisel under one to pop it out.

then you use the grout cutter again to grind off all the thin set under it.

this lets you put enough under it to level it with the other tiles. then after it dry's you re-grout.

this is a dirty job and kicks up a crap load of dust and chips. cover your area or expect dust everywhere in the living room.

Agreed on all counts here.

Use a shop vac.  Hold the cutter in one hand and the vacuum nozzle in the other.  This will eliminate most of the dust which would otherwise get airborne.

I tried that too, but eventually just built a small tent over me instead.

even when I thought I got most of the dust, it was really only the big pieces.

the wife complained about the smell and dust in other rooms.

it helped, but in no way did it stop the problem.

I used a piece of soft foam weather stripping to seal the joint between the top and bottom halves of my shop vac.  I also purchased a HEPA filter to minimize what goes out with the exhaust air.  The HEPA filters are readily available at low cost.  I was using mine in the kitchen just yesterday to suck up the dust from sanding joint compound.  It's not perfect but it is a LOT better than without those mods.    

Then again, a tent isn't perfect, either.  Nothing is.

In keeping with ARFCOM laws - use both!  

Use a spray bottle - keep the gout wet when chipping it up.  Water keeps the dust wet, which is heavy, and it settles.

It'll be a sloppy mess - but not a dusty one.

I have used plastic sheet tents before for dust and painting purposes, and they work to an extent but is worth the minimal effort to set up. Absent a HEPA filter as mentioned a shop vac will leave lots of fine dust in the air.  

The larger the tile the more noticeable minor errors will be, so take your time in both preparing the surface and making sure the tile is nice and flat with no edges sticking up.

I pulled up some of the tiles and lo and behold there's what looks like linoleum underneath.  It's actually popping up where the tiles cracked.  I think it's why the tiles cracked in the first place.  They had been feeling loose like they were popping up a little and I ignored it.

I think I will cut a small section of the linoleum out so it will lay flat and not pop up.  The thin set should get in there to fill in the small part I cut out.

What do you guys think?

Yeah, they shouldn't have done that. Life's short, no worries. I'd do just as you're saying, cut out that linoleum, trowel down some thinset, back butter your tile and slap it down.

your grout is dirty.... sorry fact of life lol
anytime tile is older than say 6 months grout is a different color than when new

around the tile you a replacing cut the old grout out back a bit from the "intersections"
lets you blend old to new a little bit so your repair doesnt stick out like well
3 brand new clean tiles in the middle of the floor

I once heard about the trick of mixing in the grout dust you cut out into your new grout wear you have to blend the repair

Sprimng for a pair of Clean Stream filters.

When the first starts to clog, remove it, wash carefully, allow to dry.

Put the second the the vac to continue working while the first dries out.

Repeat as required.