Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Isla Mujeres Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Isla Mujeres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,120 in Isla Mujeres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,752 in Isla Mujeres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,385 in Isla Mujeres.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Isla Mujeres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Isla Mujeres 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.69 MX$187

-56.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$39.09 MX$684

19.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.70 MX$135

14.81%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.33 MX$58.3

-9.91%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.29 MX$22.52

-42.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.93 MX$16.22

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.18 MX$38.15

11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.98 MX$69.6

-9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.45 MX$25.32

55.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.52 MX$44.14

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.61 MX$28.14

39.13%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.32 MX$40.52

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.18 MX$143

140.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.66 MX$134

-52.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.75 MX$188

21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.61 MX$45.69

29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.44 MX$25.24

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.77 MX$30.99

36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.71 MX$29.88

18.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.94 MX$33.87

-19.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.94 MX$33.94

-22.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.26 MX$22.09

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.98 MX$17.21

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.20 MX$73.6

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.04 MX$193

71.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.55 MX$27.14

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.84 MX$49.72

-3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.61 MX$10.67

129.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.54 MX$44.45

22.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.60 MX$28.08

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.44 MX$148

66.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.32 MX$23.12

2.27%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.0K MX$366.8K

29.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K MX$398.0K

44.76%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$56.6 MX$990

120.89%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$21.76 MX$381

-37.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.70 MX$485

-33.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.45 MX$638

68.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.92 MX$279

5.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.75 MX$83.2

93.47%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$210 MX$3,678

232.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,644 MX$63.8K

327.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$52.5 MX$918

10.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$40.43 MX$708

-12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$91.9 MX$1,609

23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$77.8 MX$1,362

10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$509 MX$8,905

21.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$397 MX$6,949

12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$954 MX$16.7K

114.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$757 MX$13.3K

97.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,788 MX$31.3K

111.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,158 MX$20.3K

128.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $509 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $250 per month, with Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Isla Mujeres differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,120 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,680 in Isla Mujeres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $509 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $1,120 in Isla Mujeres – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,120 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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.