Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad del Carmen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad del Carmen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,415 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Ciudad del Carmen costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad del Carmen 18% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 MX$184

$4.66 ฿150

127.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 MX$663

$46.44 ฿1,496

-17.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$139

$8.68 ฿280

-7.72%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.5

$2.95 ฿95.0

14.24%

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

$1.28 MX$22.17

$0.70 ฿22.52

82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.53

$0.39 ฿12.70

130.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.11

$2.53 ฿81.6

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$68.1

$3.78 ฿122

3.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.87

$2.22 ฿71.5

-32.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.74

$1.80 ฿57.8

46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.90

$2.19 ฿70.4

-26.48%

Eggs

$2.33 MX$40.35

$2.31 ฿74.5

0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 MX$142

$19.34 ฿623

-57.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 MX$134

$3.77 ฿121

105.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.50 MX$182

$13.22 ฿426

-20.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 MX$45.47

$3.33 ฿107

-21.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.65 ฿53.1

-12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.55

$2.29 ฿73.7

-25.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.49

$1.99 ฿64.1

-20.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.10

$1.53 ฿49.24

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.84

$1.51 ฿48.77

29.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.75

$1.03 ฿33.12

16.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.07

$0.51 ฿16.57

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.2

$4.41 ฿142

-2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 MX$213

$19.41 ฿625

-36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.67

$1.80 ฿58.0

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$48.71

$2.68 ฿86.4

4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.44

$1.43 ฿46.11

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.11

$3.04 ฿97.9

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.84

$1.04 ฿33.37

54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 MX$140

$13.68 ฿441

-41.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.99

$1.30 ฿41.85

-2.31%

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

$21.3K MX$368.4K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-23.81%

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

$22.2K MX$384.0K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-32.93%

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

$56.0 MX$971

$123 ฿3,962

-54.44%

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

$22.33 MX$387

$13.82 ฿445

61.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.70 MX$497

$18.86 ฿608

52.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.65 MX$618

$61.2 ฿1,970

-41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 MX$271

$16.81 ฿541

-6.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$78.5

$8.87 ฿286

-48.93%

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

$203 MX$3,512

$696 ฿22.4K

-70.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,642 MX$63.1K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-77.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MX$922

$59.3 ฿1,910

-10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 MX$682

$34.85 ฿1,123

12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MX$1,546

$113 ฿3,646

-21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,376

$85.1 ฿2,740

-6.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 MX$8,648

$615 ฿19.8K

-18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,910

$448 ฿14.4K

-11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 MX$15.9K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-56.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MX$13.5K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-48.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,152 MX$37.3K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-42.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 MX$20.3K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-55.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.33

115.38%

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

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Ciudad del Carmen and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Ciudad del Carmen vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $291 per month, with Ciudad del Carmen 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

Ciudad del Carmen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad del Carmen and Phuket differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,100 vs $1,270 including rent). Ciudad del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,651 in Ciudad del Carmen and $1,904 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $499 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ciudad del Carmen 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 Ciudad del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.