Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lazaro Cardenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas: $1,141 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Lazaro Cardenas
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Lazaro Cardenas Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Lazaro Cardenas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lazaro Cardenas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Lazaro Cardenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,141 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Phuket $1,208
Lazaro Cardenas $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,839 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Phuket $2,027
Lazaro Cardenas $1,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,537 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Phuket $2,845
Lazaro Cardenas $2,537

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lazaro Cardenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿148

$10.83 MX$203

-59.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,088

$43.66 MX$817

-26.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿296

$8.70 MX$163

0.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$3.61 MX$67.6

-21.61%

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

$0.90 ฿30.42

$1.42 MX$26.59

-36.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.71

$1.03 MX$19.24

-54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿86.0

$2.51 MX$46.92

1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$3.99 MX$74.7

-4.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿58.2

$1.66 MX$31.06

4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.56

$2.53 MX$47.41

-41.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.67 MX$31.19

-9.58%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$2.43 MX$45.51

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿664

$8.19 MX$153

140.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

$8.49 MX$159

-60.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿376

$11.33 MX$212

-1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿96.0

$2.67 MX$49.98

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿57.5

$1.59 MX$29.74

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.9

$1.90 MX$35.65

15.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.0

$1.83 MX$34.27

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿49.02

$1.93 MX$36.05

-24.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.59

$1.80 MX$33.61

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿36.02

$1.48 MX$27.75

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.07

$1.08 MX$20.23

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$4.32 MX$80.8

-1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿627

$10.32 MX$193

80.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿60.2

$1.76 MX$32.88

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.0

$3.20 MX$59.8

-10.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿76.3

$0.69 MX$12.92

227.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿745

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿102

$2.53 MX$47.26

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.67

$1.92 MX$35.92

-44.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿130

$11.01 MX$206

-64.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.48 MX$27.62

-2.03%

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

$26.3K ฿888.1K

$21.1K MX$395.7K

24.54%

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

$26.9K ฿908.8K

$23.8K MX$445.7K

13.15%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$58.7 MX$1,099

64.13%

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

$11.04 ฿372

$22.31 MX$417

-50.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿578

$29.94 MX$560

-42.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,760

$34.30 MX$642

52.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿376

$20.49 MX$384

-45.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿263

$5.11 MX$95.7

52.84%

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

$556 ฿18.8K

$221 MX$4,141

151.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿390.6K

$4,553 MX$85.2K

154.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,166

$55.3 MX$1,035

16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿968

$39.96 MX$748

-28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,217

$99.7 MX$1,867

-4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,968

$90.1 MX$1,687

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.9K

$602 MX$11.3K

22.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.6K

$393 MX$7,352

17.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.7K

$1,055 MX$19.8K

98.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.5K

$780 MX$14.6K

53.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿117.6K

$1,921 MX$36.0K

81.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿85.1K

$1,169 MX$21.9K

115.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

$552 MX$10.3K

-9.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$393 34.4% 15% $70

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Lazaro Cardenas

$263 23.1% 2.1% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$111 9.7% 10.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$128 11.3% 3.2% $4

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Lazaro Cardenas

$186 16.3% 53.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Lazaro Cardenas

$45 3.9% 34.3% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$15 * 1.3% 62.3% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $44 in Lazaro Cardenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $263, with Lazaro Cardenas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Lazaro Cardenas

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

03:16 3:16 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

83,637

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.84 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Lazaro Cardenas 16,360 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lazaro Cardenas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 6% 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 9% lower in Phuket. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $1,141 in Lazaro Cardenas – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $44 in Lazaro Cardenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Lazaro Cardenas is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.