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 $1,106 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,422 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than Ciudad Lerdo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.42 MX$182

-55.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$39.39 MX$689

18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.12 MX$142

8.87%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.39 MX$59.4

-11.50%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.23 MX$21.44

-39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.90 MX$15.67

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.35 MX$41.17

3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.98 MX$69.7

-9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.49 MX$26.11

51.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.64 MX$46.28

-30.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.56 MX$27.22

43.59%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.39 MX$41.76

-2.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.85 MX$137

150.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.67 MX$134

-52.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.72 MX$188

22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.70 MX$47.30

25.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.46 MX$25.59

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.77 MX$30.91

36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.61 MX$28.15

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.87 MX$32.65

-16.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.93 MX$33.78

-22.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.22 MX$21.35

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.99 MX$17.30

-50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.17 MX$72.9

6.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.85 MX$190

74.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.61 MX$28.24

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.83 MX$49.54

-2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.64 MX$11.23

118.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$13.36 MX$234

-14.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.66 MX$46.52

17.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.56 MX$27.27

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.27 MX$145

70.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.27 MX$22.16

6.30%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.0K MX$367.6K

29.41%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.1K MX$386.2K

49.19%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$56.6 MX$991

120.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.26 MX$390

-39.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$28.45 MX$498

-34.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.86 MX$628

71.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.61 MX$273

7.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.68 MX$81.9

96.37%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$209 MX$3,661

233.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,576 MX$62.6K

336.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$53.2 MX$932

8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.51 MX$691

-10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$90.6 MX$1,585

24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$79.4 MX$1,390

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$506 MX$8,850

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$403 MX$7,049

10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$915 MX$16.0K

123.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$776 MX$13.6K

92.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,034 MX$35.6K

85.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,250 MX$21.9K

111.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$226 MX$3,960

131.46%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $506 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 131% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $250 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 11% 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.

Phuket pays 131% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $506 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 16% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $209 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,106 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 $1,106 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 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.