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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,781 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,446 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.51 MX$182

-57.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$39.34 MX$681

15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.89 MX$137

11.03%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.31 MX$57.3

-10.27%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.25 MX$21.61

-44.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.98 MX$16.89

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.35 MX$40.57

7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.91 MX$67.7

-4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.43 MX$24.82

50.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.54 MX$43.93

-28.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.57 MX$27.25

38.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.41 MX$41.66

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.86 MX$136

154.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.79 MX$135

-53.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.38 MX$180

30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.57 MX$44.45

26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.38 MX$23.87

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.80 MX$31.17

29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.59 MX$27.57

30.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.86 MX$32.13

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.92 MX$33.24

-23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.19 MX$20.65

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.99 MX$17.06

-51.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.21 MX$72.9

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.99 MX$190

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.55 MX$26.73

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.75 MX$47.53

-3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.66 MX$11.33

115.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$13.13 MX$227

-11.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.56 MX$44.30

23.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.54 MX$26.56

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.23 MX$142

68.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.30 MX$22.50

3.08%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.1K MX$365.8K

31.45%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.2K MX$384.3K

50.28%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$55.5 MX$960

121.83%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.55 MX$390

-38.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.90 MX$483

-34.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$36.56 MX$633

66.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.83 MX$274

8.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.59 MX$79.4

93.25%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$204 MX$3,526

237.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,551 MX$61.4K

344.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$53.3 MX$922

11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$39.93 MX$691

-13.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$89.5 MX$1,548

28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$78.6 MX$1,360

6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$503 MX$8,709

23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$396 MX$6,850

12.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$920 MX$15.9K

120.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$768 MX$13.3K

94.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,860 MX$32.2K

85.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,226 MX$21.2K

106.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$228 MX$3,941

116.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $503 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 117% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $247 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 13% 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 117% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $503 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 13% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $204 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,117 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,264 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 $1,117 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.