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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,097 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,748 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,400 in Ciudad Lerdo.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.77 MX$185

-58.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$39.53 MX$680

17.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.96 MX$137

6.66%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.33 MX$57.3

-7.51%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.28 MX$22.05

-46.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.90 MX$15.57

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.37 MX$40.70

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.96 MX$68.2

-8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.50 MX$25.78

46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.64 MX$45.51

-31.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.62 MX$27.95

37.65%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.42 MX$41.61

-7.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$8.10 MX$139

141.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$7.73 MX$133

-51.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.69 MX$184

26.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.69 MX$46.25

24.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.43 MX$24.64

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.80 MX$30.99

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.67 MX$28.69

19.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.87 MX$32.11

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.99 MX$34.20

-27.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.25 MX$21.51

-19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.99 MX$16.96

-51.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.16 MX$71.6

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.83 MX$186

76.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.53 MX$26.40

20.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.73 MX$47.00

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.66 MX$11.28

115.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$13.35 MX$230

-12.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.57 MX$44.25

16.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.58 MX$27.23

-33.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$8.33 MX$143

66.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.32 MX$22.72

-2.27%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$20.9K MX$359.9K

34.02%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.9K MX$394.2K

46.25%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$55.6 MX$956

119.51%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$22.09 MX$380

-36.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$27.73 MX$477

-31.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$35.59 MX$612

72.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.94 MX$274

5.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.64 MX$79.9

91.59%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$209 MX$3,603

230.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,616 MX$62.2K

346.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$52.3 MX$900

10.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$39.92 MX$687

-11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$89.7 MX$1,543

26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$80.4 MX$1,383

3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$507 MX$8,718

19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$396 MX$6,807

13.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$931 MX$16.0K

117.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$775 MX$13.3K

92.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,993 MX$34.3K

79.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,275 MX$21.9K

102.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$230 MX$3,963

119.17%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $507 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 119% 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 $40.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $251 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 12% 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 119% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $507 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 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 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 $1,097 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,223 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 $1,097 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.