Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cozumel Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cozumel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,249 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,012 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,775 in Cozumel.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cozumel 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$9.55 MX$162

-51.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$47.81 MX$811

-32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.87 MX$151

-2.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.99 MX$50.8

-3.01%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.16 MX$19.60

-27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.09 MX$18.46

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.73 MX$29.39

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.42 MX$58.0

9.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.59 MX$27.00

18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.80 MX$30.53

-21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.86 MX$31.56

-12.90%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.04 MX$34.52

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.87 MX$184

82.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$8.53 MX$145

-59.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$13.61 MX$231

-16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.63 MX$44.55

10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.49 MX$25.28

15.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.37 MX$40.25

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.62 MX$27.42

31.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.47 MX$41.90

-40.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.88 MX$31.95

-24.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.58 MX$26.87

-30.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.26 MX$21.44

-52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.81 MX$81.6

-10.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.69 MX$198

59.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.62 MX$27.40

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.79 MX$47.37

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.69 MX$11.76

226.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$70.7 MX$1,200

-66.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.91 MX$49.30

6.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$3.22 MX$54.6

-66.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$9.28 MX$157

-58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.45 MX$24.67

-1.38%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.7K MX$367.6K

28.22%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.6K MX$434.9K

5.26%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$62.7 MX$1,063

67.17%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$22.47 MX$381

-49.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$23.64 MX$401

-25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$41.09 MX$697

32.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$21.83 MX$370

-47.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.43 MX$109

21.00%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$277 MX$4,707

107.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,947 MX$66.9K

193.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$59.6 MX$1,010

6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$57.7 MX$979

-49.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$110 MX$1,874

-12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$88.1 MX$1,494

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$658 MX$11.2K

11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$409 MX$6,933

22.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,679 MX$28.5K

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$830 MX$14.1K

50.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,962 MX$33.3K

80.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,229 MX$20.9K

113.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$701 MX$11.9K

-27.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.64

-52.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $658 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $275 per month, with Phuket 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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Cozumel differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,249 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Cozumel. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $658 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,249 in Cozumel versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.