Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Matamoros versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Matamoros versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 14% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$184

$4.63 ฿151

127.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 MX$688

$46.84 ฿1,523

-15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$135

$8.84 ฿287

-12.22%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$58.3

$3.00 ฿97.4

11.67%

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

$1.28 MX$22.26

$0.74 ฿24.11

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.07

$0.37 ฿11.88

148.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.12

$2.44 ฿79.3

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$66.4

$3.61 ฿117

5.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.98

$2.26 ฿73.5

-34.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.30

$1.84 ฿59.8

41.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.89

$2.24 ฿73.0

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.40

$2.32 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$140

$19.67 ฿639

-59.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$3.65 ฿119

115.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$182

$13.10 ฿426

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.69

$3.39 ฿110

-22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.52

$1.64 ฿53.4

-14.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.35

$2.41 ฿78.5

-25.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.93

$2.03 ฿66.0

-18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.61

$1.56 ฿50.6

23.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.85

$1.50 ฿48.66

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.77

$1.02 ฿33.30

22.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.65

$0.49 ฿15.91

106.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.1

$4.45 ฿145

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MX$212

$18.88 ฿614

-35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.95

$1.78 ฿57.7

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$47.69

$2.75 ฿89.5

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.62

$1.40 ฿45.54

-56.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.05 MX$558

$11.48 ฿373

179.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.36

$3.12 ฿101

-18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.04

$1.00 ฿32.48

61.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$148

$14.09 ฿458

-39.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.01

$1.35 ฿43.93

-6.67%

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

$21.1K MX$367.2K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-22.37%

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

$22.3K MX$387.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-32.28%

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

$57.5 MX$1,000

$125 ฿4,063

-54.00%

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

$21.86 MX$380

$13.57 ฿441

61.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.82 MX$484

$18.52 ฿602

50.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 MX$620

$61.5 ฿1,999

-42.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$271

$16.84 ฿547

-7.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.8

$9.19 ฿299

-48.20%

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

$209 MX$3,629

$698 ฿22.7K

-70.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,104 MX$54.0K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-80.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$930

$57.8 ฿1,878

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$703

$35.24 ฿1,146

14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,587

$113 ฿3,677

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,381

$86.4 ฿2,808

-8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MX$8,693

$616 ฿20.0K

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$6,966

$446 ฿14.5K

-10.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.2K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-54.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.4K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-48.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 MX$30.5K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-53.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.3K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-51.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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 Matamoros: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Matamoros and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Matamoros vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $292 per month, with Matamoros 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

Matamoros vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,727 in Matamoros and $1,847 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: $500 in Matamoros versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Matamoros versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,151 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Matamoros 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 Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.