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: $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,953 in Matamoros versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Matamoros versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 10% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$203

$4.66 ฿154

156.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.23 MX$801

$32.22 ฿1,065

46.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 MX$156

$8.68 ฿287

5.76%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$62.9

$2.90 ฿95.8

27.93%

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

$1.50 MX$25.48

$0.84 ฿27.89

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.47

$0.49 ฿16.16

134.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MX$49.27

$2.48 ฿82.0

16.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$76.1

$3.73 ฿123

20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$29.87

$1.89 ฿62.3

-6.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$46.94

$1.41 ฿46.54

96.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$30.86

$1.62 ฿53.6

12.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.13

$2.24 ฿74.1

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 MX$148

$19.84 ฿656

-56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 MX$148

$3.48 ฿115

151.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 MX$210

$11.37 ฿376

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$48.61

$2.90 ฿95.8

-1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.54

$1.72 ฿57.0

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.53

$2.27 ฿75.1

-7.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.11

$2.13 ฿70.4

-8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.47 ฿48.72

40.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.42

$1.42 ฿46.92

34.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$25.74

$1.10 ฿36.25

38.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.67

$0.60 ฿19.76

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$78.4

$4.31 ฿142

7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$197

$18.60 ฿615

-37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$32.86

$1.80 ฿59.5

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 MX$55.7

$2.97 ฿98.0

10.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.55

$2.25 ฿74.2

-69.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 MX$46.18

$3.10 ฿102

-12.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 MX$36.26

$1.08 ฿35.56

98.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 MX$204

$3.87 ฿128

210.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$26.49

$1.43 ฿47.16

9.09%

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

$22.6K MX$382.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-18.80%

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

$25.6K MX$433.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.24%

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

$61.9 MX$1,049

$105 ฿3,462

-40.97%

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

$24.37 MX$413

$11.39 ฿376

113.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.52 MX$552

$17.54 ฿580

85.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MX$628

$54.3 ฿1,795

-31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.35 MX$362

$11.44 ฿378

86.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 MX$97.1

$7.78 ฿257

-26.48%

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

$245 MX$4,155

$576 ฿19.0K

-57.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,000 MX$84.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-56.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 MX$981

$63.6 ฿2,103

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 MX$772

$29.10 ฿961

56.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,829

$96.2 ฿3,179

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 MX$1,552

$90.0 ฿2,974

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.1K

$733 ฿24.2K

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 MX$7,187

$501 ฿16.5K

-15.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MX$18.9K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 MX$14.0K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-33.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 MX$33.7K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-43.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 MX$20.6K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-53.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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 Matamoros: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Matamoros and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Matamoros vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $275 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

Matamoros vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 2% 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 $1,868 in Matamoros and $1,898 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: $652 in Matamoros versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Matamoros versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,265 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 $1,245 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.