Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ciudad Obregon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon: $1,129 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Obregon
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Ciudad Obregon Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ciudad Obregon

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,129

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ciudad Obregon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Ciudad Obregon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,129 in Ciudad Obregon.

Phuket $1,278
Ciudad Obregon $1,129

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,686 in Ciudad Obregon.

Phuket $2,216
Ciudad Obregon $1,686

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,243 in Ciudad Obregon.

Phuket $3,154
Ciudad Obregon $2,243

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ciudad Obregon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ciudad Obregon 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.79 MX$203

-58.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$35.52 MX$668

-8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.68 MX$163

1.50%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.90 MX$54.5

-2.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.19 MX$22.43

-26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.82 MX$15.48

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.55 MX$47.87

0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.84 MX$72.1

-4.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.69 MX$31.79

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.26 MX$42.45

-35.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.89 MX$16.71

68.54%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.10 MX$58.3

-32.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.24 MX$79.7

349.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.47 MX$103

-39.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.70 MX$201

1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.79 MX$33.65

63.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.11 MX$20.84

52.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.11 MX$20.87

102.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.30 MX$24.44

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.80 MX$33.75

-16.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.16 MX$40.65

-36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.56 MX$10.57

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.40 MX$26.32

-62.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.19 MX$78.8

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.81 MX$166

113.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.56 MX$10.60

225.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.31 MX$24.56

116.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.68 MX$12.70

113.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$26.31 MX$495

115.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.84 MX$34.66

64.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.68 MX$31.63

-39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.65 MX$200

-65.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.30 MX$24.35

13.08%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$24.4K MX$458.3K

9.81%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$23.5K MX$440.8K

13.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$95.4 MX$1,792

1.05%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$27.91 MX$524

-59.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$31.31 MX$588

-46.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$32.63 MX$613

106.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.11 MX$378

-46.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.68 MX$69.1

103.80%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$293 MX$5,511

62.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$4,826 MX$90.7K

133.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$43.53 MX$818

43.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$32.76 MX$616

-13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$64.7 MX$1,215

45.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$65.7 MX$1,234

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$609 MX$11.4K

17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$420 MX$7,896

16.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,134 MX$21.3K

69.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$660 MX$12.4K

116.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,882 MX$35.4K

121.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,110 MX$20.9K

174.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,175 MX$22.1K

-57.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.6

-51.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ciudad Obregon

$420 37.2% 14.4% $71

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ciudad Obregon

$206 18.3% 22.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ciudad Obregon

$155 13.7% 24.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ciudad Obregon

$93 8.2% 23.7% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ciudad Obregon

$176 15.6% 44.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ciudad Obregon

$40 3.5% 51.4% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ciudad Obregon

$39 3.5% 44.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $609 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays about 2.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $36 in Ciudad Obregon. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $206, with Ciudad Obregon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Ciudad Obregon

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

02:50 2:50 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

329,404

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ciudad Obregon 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ciudad Obregon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Obregon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Obregon 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 Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $609 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $36 in Ciudad Obregon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,129 in Ciudad Obregon – Ciudad Obregon is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ciudad Obregon is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Obregon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.