Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,249 in Cozumel versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,012 in Cozumel versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,775 in Cozumel versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cozumel 9% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.55 MX$162

$4.66 ฿154

104.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.81 MX$811

$32.22 ฿1,065

48.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 MX$151

$8.68 ฿287

2.19%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MX$50.8

$2.90 ฿95.8

3.10%

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

$1.16 MX$19.60

$0.84 ฿27.89

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.46

$0.49 ฿16.16

122.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 MX$29.39

$2.48 ฿82.0

-30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 MX$58.0

$3.73 ฿123

-8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.00

$1.89 ฿62.3

-15.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 MX$30.53

$1.41 ฿46.54

27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.56

$1.62 ฿53.6

14.81%

Eggs

$2.04 MX$34.52

$2.24 ฿74.1

-8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 MX$184

$19.84 ฿656

-45.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$145

$3.48 ฿115

145.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 MX$231

$11.37 ฿376

19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$44.55

$2.90 ฿95.8

-9.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.28

$1.72 ฿57.0

-13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 MX$40.25

$2.27 ฿75.1

4.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.42

$2.13 ฿70.4

-23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$41.90

$1.47 ฿48.72

68.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.95

$1.42 ฿46.92

32.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.87

$1.10 ฿36.25

43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.44

$0.60 ฿19.76

110.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MX$81.6

$4.31 ฿142

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 MX$198

$18.60 ฿615

-37.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.40

$1.80 ฿59.5

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MX$47.37

$2.97 ฿98.0

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.76

$2.25 ฿74.2

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 MX$1,200

$23.49 ฿776

201.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 MX$49.30

$3.10 ฿102

-6.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 MX$54.6

$1.08 ฿35.56

198.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.28 MX$157

$3.87 ฿128

139.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.67

$1.43 ฿47.16

1.40%

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

$21.7K MX$367.6K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-22.01%

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

$25.6K MX$434.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.00%

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

$62.7 MX$1,063

$105 ฿3,462

-40.18%

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

$22.47 MX$381

$11.39 ฿376

97.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.64 MX$401

$17.54 ฿580

34.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MX$697

$54.3 ฿1,795

-24.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 MX$370

$11.44 ฿378

90.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 MX$109

$7.78 ฿257

-17.35%

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

$277 MX$4,707

$576 ฿19.0K

-51.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$66.9K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-65.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MX$1,010

$63.6 ฿2,103

-6.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 MX$979

$29.10 ฿961

98.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,874

$96.2 ฿3,179

14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 MX$1,494

$90.0 ฿2,974

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 MX$11.2K

$733 ฿24.2K

-10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$501 ฿16.5K

-18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 MX$28.5K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 MX$14.1K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-33.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,962 MX$33.3K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-44.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 MX$20.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-53.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$701 MX$11.9K

$508 ฿16.8K

38.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

5.57

108.98%

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

Last update for Cozumel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Cozumel and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Cozumel vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $275, with Cozumel 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

Cozumel vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cozumel and Phuket differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,249 vs $1,265 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Cozumel, 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: $658 in Cozumel versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,249 in Cozumel versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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, Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.