Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ciudad del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ciudad del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,784 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,442 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ciudad del Carmen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$10.67 MX$186

-55.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$38.59 MX$674

17.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$7.97 MX$139

5.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$3.27 MX$57.1

-10.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$1.28 MX$22.40

-46.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.95 MX$16.64

-61.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.44 MX$42.60

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.84 MX$67.1

-3.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$1.47 MX$25.70

51.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$2.52 MX$43.98

-27.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.61 MX$28.09

34.78%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$2.29 MX$39.95

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$8.17 MX$143

141.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.84 MX$137

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.38 MX$181

30.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$2.63 MX$45.85

24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$1.43 MX$25.00

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.76 MX$30.78

36.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.61 MX$28.08

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.92 MX$33.55

-20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$2.01 MX$35.16

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$1.25 MX$21.79

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$1.03 MX$17.95

-50.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$4.29 MX$74.9

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$9.39 MX$164

106.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.59 MX$27.79

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$2.72 MX$47.47

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.66 MX$11.48

107.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$2.61 MX$45.55

15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.56 MX$27.21

-36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$8.28 MX$145

70.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$1.27 MX$22.20

7.09%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$21.5K MX$375.3K

31.23%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.2K MX$387.6K

48.26%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$55.9 MX$977

117.63%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$22.36 MX$390

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$27.76 MX$485

-34.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$36.16 MX$631

66.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$15.99 MX$279

7.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$4.72 MX$82.5

84.11%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$208 MX$3,631

233.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$3,647 MX$63.7K

330.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$52.4 MX$915

13.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$38.89 MX$679

-10.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$88.7 MX$1,549

29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$80.8 MX$1,411

3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$501 MX$8,750

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$401 MX$7,007

8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$950 MX$16.6K

120.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$755 MX$13.2K

99.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$2,055 MX$35.9K

82.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,172 MX$20.5K

123.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $501 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Ciudad del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $246 per month, with Ciudad del Carmen 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

Phuket vs Ciudad del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Ciudad del Carmen differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,126 including rent). Ciudad del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,690 in Ciudad del Carmen 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: $613 in Phuket versus $501 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad del Carmen 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, Phuket and Ciudad del Carmen 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 Ciudad del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.