Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ciudad Lerdo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ciudad Lerdo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $873 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,413 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,953 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.98 MX$103

-26.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$27.21 MX$469

18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.87 MX$118

29.99%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.71 MX$29.50

69.59%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.86 MX$14.83

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.60 MX$10.28

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.48 MX$25.60

58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.00 MX$51.7

24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.20 MX$20.65

55.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.45 MX$24.97

1.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.19 MX$20.51

30.25%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.77 MX$30.60

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.15 MX$71.5

372.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.15 MX$71.5

-17.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.85 MX$118

66.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.48 MX$25.53

101.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.90 MX$15.54

86.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.87 MX$14.98

154.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.84 MX$14.47

157.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.92 MX$15.83

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.90 MX$15.57

48.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.57 MX$9.77

98.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.67 MX$11.49

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.16 MX$71.7

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.81 MX$117

180.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.14 MX$19.72

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.45 MX$24.99

91.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.73 MX$12.62

205.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$14.86 MX$256

53.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.31 MX$22.66

131.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.15 MX$37.12

-52.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.93 MX$102

-34.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.31 MX$22.50

13.74%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$19.5K MX$336.1K

36.36%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.1K MX$381.6K

22.12%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$35.17 MX$606

191.36%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$14.77 MX$255

-23.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.52 MX$406

-26.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$36.00 MX$621

44.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$20.99 MX$362

-47.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.19 MX$72.2

83.53%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$148 MX$2,544

279.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,931 MX$50.5K

292.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$28.61 MX$493

120.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$22.96 MX$396

28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$59.2 MX$1,020

65.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$45.88 MX$791

92.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$638 MX$11.0K

15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$412 MX$7,096

17.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,126 MX$19.4K

87.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$806 MX$13.9K

52.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,958 MX$33.8K

84.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,219 MX$21.0K

113.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$235 MX$4,045

110.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.53

-47.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $638 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 110% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $150 per month, with Ciudad Lerdo 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 Lerdo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Lerdo wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Lerdo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 110% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $638 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Lerdo runs roughly 53% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $148 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $873 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Lerdo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Lerdo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Lerdo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $873 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Lerdo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ciudad Lerdo 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 Lerdo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.