Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cozumel

For one person, living is cheaper in Cozumel: $1,163 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Cozumel
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Cozumel Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Cozumel

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cozumel

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 Cozumel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,163 in Cozumel.

Phuket $1,278
Cozumel $1,163

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,813 in Cozumel.

Phuket $2,216
Cozumel $1,813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,464 in Cozumel.

Phuket $3,154
Cozumel $2,464

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cozumel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cozumel 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$8.67 MX$161

-48.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$43.79 MX$816

-25.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.00 MX$149

10.13%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.76 MX$51.3

2.54%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.06 MX$19.70

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.94 MX$17.55

-47.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.58 MX$29.38

62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.07 MX$57.1

19.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.46 MX$27.27

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.64 MX$30.59

-10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.76 MX$32.71

-14.77%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.85 MX$34.44

12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$10.02 MX$187

90.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.79 MX$145

-57.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.30 MX$229

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.36 MX$43.94

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.37 MX$25.59

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.14 MX$39.92

5.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.53 MX$28.55

35.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.20 MX$40.91

-31.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.81 MX$33.72

-23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.45 MX$27.10

-26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.10 MX$20.44

-52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.42 MX$82.4

-4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$10.59 MX$197

77.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.49 MX$27.79

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.50 MX$46.57

13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.59 MX$10.94

145.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$29.76 MX$554

90.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.61 MX$48.62

15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$2.89 MX$53.9

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$8.76 MX$163

-57.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.32 MX$24.61

11.36%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$19.5K MX$362.8K

37.50%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$23.1K MX$430.4K

15.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$57.8 MX$1,077

66.72%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$20.69 MX$386

-45.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$21.21 MX$395

-20.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$37.82 MX$705

77.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$19.69 MX$367

-45.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.97 MX$111

25.63%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$259 MX$4,823

83.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$3,514 MX$65.5K

220.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$55.1 MX$1,026

13.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$52.5 MX$977

-45.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$99.4 MX$1,852

-5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$83.6 MX$1,558

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$599 MX$11.2K

19.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$435 MX$8,100

12.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,573 MX$29.3K

22.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$741 MX$13.8K

93.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,899 MX$35.4K

119.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,140 MX$21.2K

167.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$651 MX$12.1K

-22.85%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Cozumel

$435 37.4% 11.4% $56

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Cozumel

$250 21.5% 5.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Cozumel

$100 8.6% 19.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cozumel

$131 11.2% 7.3% $8.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cozumel

$148 12.8% 22% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Cozumel

$50 4.3% 39.5% $32

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cozumel

$49 4.2% 30.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $599 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 30% 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 $44 in Cozumel. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $250, with Cozumel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Cozumel

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

05:47 5:47 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

77,236

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cozumel 16,810 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cozumel

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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,163 in Cozumel, so Cozumel is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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 $599 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $44 in Cozumel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Cozumel gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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