Cost of Living Comparison Between Lazaro Cardenas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lazaro Cardenas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Lazaro Cardenas costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lazaro Cardenas 10% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 MX$199

$4.56 ฿150

158.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.14 MX$796

$32.62 ฿1,072

44.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 MX$150

$8.90 ฿293

-0.11%

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$63.8

$2.80 ฿92.2

35.00%

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

$1.45 MX$24.51

$0.88 ฿28.93

64.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.22

$0.49 ฿16.08

132.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$49.98

$2.39 ฿78.5

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MX$73.9

$3.71 ฿122

18.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.71

$1.79 ฿58.7

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 MX$49.35

$1.44 ฿47.38

102.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.11

$1.58 ฿52.1

12.66%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$44.31

$2.13 ฿69.9

23.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$146

$19.92 ฿655

-56.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 MX$135

$3.43 ฿113

133.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 MX$212

$11.33 ฿372

10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$50.2

$2.95 ฿96.9

0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.20

$1.72 ฿56.6

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.73

$2.32 ฿76.4

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.80

$2.08 ฿68.4

-9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$35.44

$1.47 ฿48.33

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.04

$1.36 ฿44.64

39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$24.91

$1.10 ฿36.12

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.38

$0.57 ฿18.89

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$77.5

$4.27 ฿140

7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 MX$193

$18.42 ฿605

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$32.92

$1.87 ฿61.5

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MX$58.7

$2.92 ฿96.0

19.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MX$12.52

$2.22 ฿72.9

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 MX$46.92

$3.03 ฿99.6

-8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.07 ฿35.31

95.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.69 MX$197

$3.93 ฿129

197.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.49 ฿49.04

4.03%

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

$23.0K MX$389.0K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-15.04%

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

$26.1K MX$441.2K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-4.77%

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

$62.4 MX$1,054

$103 ฿3,379

-39.27%

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

$23.98 MX$405

$10.99 ฿361

118.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.04 MX$541

$17.51 ฿576

82.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 MX$611

$53.5 ฿1,760

-32.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.74 MX$367

$11.20 ฿368

94.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$92.9

$7.48 ฿246

-26.34%

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

$250 MX$4,215

$557 ฿18.3K

-55.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,912 MX$82.9K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-58.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 MX$977

$64.1 ฿2,106

-9.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.58 MX$769

$29.07 ฿956

56.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,867

$96.0 ฿3,154

15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,572

$90.3 ฿2,970

3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$10.9K

$730 ฿24.0K

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 MX$7,054

$500 ฿16.4K

-16.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 MX$18.5K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 MX$13.7K

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-33.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,007 MX$33.9K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-44.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,247 MX$21.0K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-50.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 MX$10.0K

$503 ฿16.5K

18.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Lazaro Cardenas and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Lazaro Cardenas vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

Lazaro Cardenas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Lazaro Cardenas, 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: $643 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,243 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas 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.