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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,153 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,377 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,601 in Cozumel.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Cozumel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cozumel 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.49 MX$149

-45.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$42.28 MX$740

10.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.77 MX$136

13.77%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.12 MX$54.5

-3.85%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.21 MX$21.16

-38.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.10 MX$19.33

-66.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.87 MX$32.66

30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.68 MX$64.4

-1.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.44 MX$25.19

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.61 MX$28.25

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.52 MX$26.56

47.37%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.99 MX$34.88

16.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.37 MX$181

89.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.14 MX$125

-48.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.32 MX$198

15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.42 MX$42.39

40.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.35 MX$23.68

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.13 MX$37.34

13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.44 MX$25.20

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.15 MX$37.66

-27.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.87 MX$32.68

-19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.08 MX$18.83

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.93 MX$16.26

-47.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.20 MX$73.5

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.60 MX$203

62.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.36 MX$23.84

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.74 MX$48.02

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.66 MX$11.50

112.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.34 MX$40.89

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.40 MX$42.04

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.77 MX$119

108.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.30 MX$22.77

3.85%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.8K MX$275.8K

72.50%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.1K MX$368.5K

56.35%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$50.8 MX$888

146.22%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.36 MX$391

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.36 MX$391

-17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.54 MX$657

63.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.44 MX$375

-21.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.59 MX$80.3

100.22%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$388 MX$6,792

79.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,447 MX$60.3K

352.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$55.7 MX$974

3.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$48.39 MX$847

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$90.0 MX$1,574

25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$83.0 MX$1,453

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$708 MX$12.4K

-12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$481 MX$8,415

-7.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,535 MX$26.9K

33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$2,028 MX$35.5K

-26.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,426 MX$25.0K

164.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,856 MX$32.5K

42.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$699 MX$12.2K

-25.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.68

-54.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $708 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $242 per month, with Cozumel 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,153 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cozumel earns 34% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $708 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,153 in Cozumel – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,153 in Cozumel versus $1,232 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.