Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lazaro Cardenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lazaro Cardenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,760 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,403 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$10.41 MX$181

-56.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$39.29 MX$684

17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$8.06 MX$140

7.32%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.35 MX$58.2

-7.76%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$1.23 MX$21.49

-44.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$0.96 MX$16.79

-61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.39 MX$41.59

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$3.99 MX$69.4

-4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.45 MX$25.19

50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$2.55 MX$44.43

-28.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.61 MX$28.01

35.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.40 MX$41.82

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$8.06 MX$140

147.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$8.05 MX$140

-54.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$10.66 MX$185

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.57 MX$44.73

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.43 MX$24.92

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$1.77 MX$30.72

31.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$1.59 MX$27.75

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.91 MX$33.16

-16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$2.01 MX$34.96

-25.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$1.26 MX$21.84

-19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.99 MX$17.17

-51.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.16 MX$72.4

6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

$11.08 MX$193

68.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.56 MX$27.23

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

$2.81 MX$48.95

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$0.65 MX$11.37

118.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$2.65 MX$46.06

16.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$1.60 MX$27.87

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$8.07 MX$140

68.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$1.27 MX$22.01

3.15%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$21.4K MX$371.6K

27.75%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.0K MX$383.4K

50.77%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$55.8 MX$971

120.68%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$22.27 MX$388

-37.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$27.79 MX$484

-33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$36.16 MX$629

66.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

$15.72 MX$274

6.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$4.59 MX$79.9

93.68%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$209 MX$3,645

227.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$3,642 MX$63.4K

326.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$52.3 MX$909

10.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$40.37 MX$702

-14.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$88.1 MX$1,533

30.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$78.8 MX$1,372

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$505 MX$8,795

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$400 MX$6,956

10.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$917 MX$16.0K

123.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$748 MX$13.0K

101.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

$1,901 MX$33.1K

87.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

103.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

$581 MX$10.1K

-13.53%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 16% 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 $39.00 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $251 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Lazaro Cardenas. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $209 in Lazaro Cardenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,116 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.