Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matamoros Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matamoros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,125 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,820 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,514 in Matamoros.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Matamoros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.59 MX$182

-57.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$38.29 MX$659

21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.95 MX$137

6.79%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.21 MX$55.2

-4.05%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.29 MX$22.17

-47.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.91 MX$15.57

-60.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.35 MX$40.44

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.92 MX$67.5

-7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.50 MX$25.73

46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.64 MX$45.36

-31.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.60 MX$27.56

39.37%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.40 MX$41.37

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.91 MX$136

147.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$7.94 MX$137

-53.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.54 MX$181

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.58 MX$44.39

30.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.45 MX$24.98

11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.73 MX$29.69

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.61 MX$27.70

23.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.87 MX$32.17

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.00 MX$34.34

-27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.20 MX$20.72

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.98 MX$16.79

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.09 MX$70.4

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.24 MX$176

86.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.54 MX$26.53

19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.79 MX$48.01

-1.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.60 MX$10.32

136.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$32.09 MX$552

-63.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.63 MX$45.26

14.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.55 MX$26.71

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$8.34 MX$144

66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.25 MX$21.59

3.20%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$20.9K MX$359.8K

34.06%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.8K MX$391.8K

47.15%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$57.3 MX$986

112.88%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$22.12 MX$381

-37.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$28.54 MX$491

-33.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$36.10 MX$621

69.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.76 MX$271

6.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.72 MX$81.1

88.35%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$214 MX$3,683

223.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,066 MX$52.8K

427.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$52.5 MX$903

10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$39.04 MX$672

-9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$89.5 MX$1,540

26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$80.0 MX$1,377

3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$507 MX$8,722

19.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$402 MX$6,912

11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$929 MX$16.0K

118.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$753 MX$13.0K

98.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,294 MX$39.5K

56.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,383 MX$23.8K

86.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $507 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $249 per month, with Matamoros 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 Matamoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,688 in Matamoros 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: $607 in Phuket versus $507 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,125 in Matamoros – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,125 in Matamoros versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,125 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Matamoros 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 Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.