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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,187 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,929 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,670 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ciudad del Carmen 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.00 MX$224

-66.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$51.6 MX$889

-37.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.39 MX$162

-4.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.83 MX$66.1

-24.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.43 MX$24.59

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.00 MX$17.26

-52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.91 MX$50.2

-19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.45 MX$76.7

-16.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.75 MX$30.23

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.76 MX$47.53

-46.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.01 MX$34.66

-22.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.44 MX$42.14

-13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.70 MX$167

101.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.96 MX$172

-65.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.30 MX$229

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.95 MX$50.9

1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.57 MX$27.12

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.34 MX$40.37

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.94 MX$33.42

11.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.29 MX$39.55

-33.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.85 MX$31.97

-27.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.63 MX$28.09

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.17 MX$20.11

-52.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.39 MX$75.7

-2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.31 MX$195

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.15 MX$37.07

-17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.82 MX$65.8

-27.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.66 MX$11.35

237.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.60 MX$44.81

16.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.20 MX$37.86

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$12.44 MX$215

-68.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.72 MX$29.71

-13.37%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$23.6K MX$406.5K

12.73%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.0K MX$379.6K

22.79%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$57.2 MX$987

79.02%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.51 MX$423

-53.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$32.67 MX$563

-46.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$39.62 MX$683

31.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$19.50 MX$336

-43.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.77 MX$99.5

33.28%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$265 MX$4,567

111.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,184 MX$89.4K

121.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$60.1 MX$1,036

4.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$49.12 MX$847

-39.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$119 MX$2,052

-17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$97.7 MX$1,685

-9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$628 MX$10.8K

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$474 MX$8,168

1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$953 MX$16.4K

120.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$786 MX$13.6K

55.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,165 MX$37.3K

67.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,124 MX$19.4K

131.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $628 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $52.0 in Ciudad del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $297 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

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

Phuket and Ciudad del Carmen differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,187 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 $1,847 in Phuket and $1,781 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: $738 in Phuket versus $628 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,187 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,187 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,232 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.