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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,145 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,350 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,556 in Cozumel.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Cozumel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.61 MX$148

-47.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$42.87 MX$736

8.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.76 MX$133

9.15%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.06 MX$52.5

-0.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.21 MX$20.76

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.07 MX$18.37

-65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.80 MX$30.90

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.80 MX$65.2

-3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.36 MX$23.36

60.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.55 MX$26.58

22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.50 MX$25.82

46.67%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.93 MX$33.21

15.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.31 MX$177

93.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.82 MX$117

-46.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.19 MX$192

18.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.35 MX$40.29

37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.42 MX$24.32

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.13 MX$36.57

12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.50 MX$25.70

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.10 MX$36.06

-24.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.92 MX$32.96

-22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.07 MX$18.43

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.94 MX$16.09

-44.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.24 MX$72.7

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$11.35 MX$195

65.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.32 MX$22.59

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.88 MX$49.50

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.61 MX$10.53

122.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.37 MX$40.67

32.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.49 MX$42.76

-58.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.56 MX$113

109.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.26 MX$21.64

6.35%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$15.8K MX$271.2K

75.18%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.1K MX$361.5K

60.77%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$50.5 MX$867

144.64%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$21.65 MX$372

-37.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$21.87 MX$375

-14.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.31 MX$623

70.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$21.25 MX$365

-18.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.54 MX$78.0

101.32%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$394 MX$6,762

78.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,540 MX$60.8K

348.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$55.7 MX$956

6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$47.87 MX$822

-26.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$91.0 MX$1,562

26.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$85.5 MX$1,467

-1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$705 MX$12.1K

-12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$478 MX$8,200

-9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,552 MX$26.6K

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$2,013 MX$34.6K

-24.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,460 MX$25.1K

149.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,864 MX$32.0K

40.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$688 MX$11.8K

-26.28%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $705 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 36% 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 $43.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $238 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,145 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cozumel earns 36% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $705 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,145 in Cozumel – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,261 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.