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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,173 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,795 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,416 in Cozumel.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Cozumel 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.48 MX$148

-47.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$43.08 MX$751

5.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.86 MX$137

11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.16 MX$55.1

-6.01%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.22 MX$21.25

-43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.12 MX$19.58

-65.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.87 MX$32.62

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.61 MX$63.0

3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.39 MX$24.18

54.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.55 MX$27.03

17.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.50 MX$26.15

45.33%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.00 MX$34.96

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$10.35 MX$180

93.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.89 MX$120

-47.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$11.41 MX$199

18.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.43 MX$42.30

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.40 MX$24.34

17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.17 MX$37.88

7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.50 MX$26.13

38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.16 MX$37.65

-28.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.96 MX$34.21

-25.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.03 MX$18.04

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.95 MX$16.50

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.25 MX$74.2

2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$11.52 MX$201

61.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.33 MX$23.17

39.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.83 MX$49.31

-6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.65 MX$11.42

118.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.36 MX$41.18

34.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$2.38 MX$41.48

-56.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$6.65 MX$116

108.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.30 MX$22.71

3.08%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$15.7K MX$273.2K

77.44%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.2K MX$368.9K

57.82%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$50.2 MX$875

145.31%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$22.04 MX$384

-37.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$21.71 MX$379

-15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$36.64 MX$639

65.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$15.90 MX$277

7.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$4.59 MX$80.0

93.25%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$205 MX$3,574

235.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$3,481 MX$60.7K

353.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$56.7 MX$988

4.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$49.00 MX$855

-29.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$89.5 MX$1,561

28.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$83.8 MX$1,461

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$697 MX$12.1K

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$493 MX$8,602

-9.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$1,532 MX$26.7K

32.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$765 MX$13.3K

95.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,930 MX$33.7K

79.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

104.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$676 MX$11.8K

-26.95%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $697 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $241 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,173 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $697 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $1,173 in Cozumel – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,264 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.