Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bucerias

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Bucerias: $1,278 and $1,287 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket, Thailand
Bucerias, Mexico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Bucerias
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,287
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bucerias

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bucerias actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,287 in Bucerias, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Bucerias $1,287

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,993 in Bucerias, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Bucerias $1,993

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,698 in Bucerias, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Bucerias $2,698

Phuket and Bucerias have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Phuket and Bucerias are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bucerias 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.63 MX$255
-67.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$42.73 MX$801
-24.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.39 MX$176
-6.18%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.77 MX$70.7
-24.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$1.59 MX$29.81
-45.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$1.09 MX$20.42
-55.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$3.01 MX$56.5
-14.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.25 MX$79.7
-13.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.79 MX$33.55
-7.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$3.37 MX$63.1
-56.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.60 MX$30.03
-6.25%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.47 MX$46.27
-15.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$8.66 MX$162
120.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.25 MX$192
-67.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$11.70 MX$219
-6.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$2.74 MX$51.4
6.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.60 MX$29.97
5.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.89 MX$35.33
19.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.78 MX$33.40
16.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.20 MX$41.22
-31.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$2.73 MX$51.2
-49.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$1.42 MX$26.56
-24.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$1.08 MX$20.27
-51.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.25 MX$79.7
-1.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.69 MX$200
75.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.79 MX$33.46
1.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$3.36 MX$63.0
-15.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$0.67 MX$12.51
116.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
$26.29 MX$493
115.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.11 MX$39.47
43.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$1.45 MX$27.17
-29.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$9.50 MX$178
-61.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.50 MX$28.16
-2.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$20.5K MX$384.4K
30.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$23.8K MX$445.4K
12.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$85.1 MX$1,594
13.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$22.65 MX$424
-50.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$29.71 MX$557
-43.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$31.72 MX$594
111.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$19.80 MX$371
-45.81%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.86 MX$110
27.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$233 MX$4,369
104.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$6,216 MX$116.5K
81.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$53.7 MX$1,006
16.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$34.64 MX$649
-17.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$99.3 MX$1,861
-5.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$95.5 MX$1,790
-10.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$586 MX$11.0K
22.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$436 MX$8,165
12.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,011 MX$19.0K
90.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$754 MX$14.1K
89.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$1,869 MX$35.0K
123.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,076 MX$20.2K
182.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Bucerias
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,060 MX$19.9K
-52.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.53
-51.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bucerias: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Bucerias
$436 11.2% $55
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Bucerias
$288 8.1% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Bucerias
$137 10.4% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Bucerias
$127 4.6% $5.5
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Bucerias
$217 78.1% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Bucerias
$43 47.2% $39
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Bucerias
$38 45.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $586 in Bucerias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bucerias are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $43 in Bucerias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $288 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇽 Bucerias
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
13:02 1:02 PM
13 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
16,161
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Bucerias 15,910 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Bucerias

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Phuket vs Bucerias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Bucerias?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,930 in Bucerias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Bucerias?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucerias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $586 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $43 in Bucerias. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Bucerias?
Public transport costs about 54% less in Bucerias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $1,500 go in Phuket compared to Bucerias?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,287 in Bucerias, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should digital nomads live: Phuket or Bucerias?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,287 in Bucerias. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Phuket or Bucerias safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Phuket and Bucerias?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucerias makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?