Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mazatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,436 in Mazatlan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
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Mazatlan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mazatlan

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 Mazatlan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $1,436 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Mazatlan $1,436

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $2,041 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Mazatlan $2,041

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $2,645 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Mazatlan $2,645

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Mazatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Mazatlan is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$10.96 MX$201

-60.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$46.29 MX$850

-29.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$8.37 MX$154

0.60%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$3.40 MX$62.4

-17.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.45 MX$26.53

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$1.10 MX$20.12

-58.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.13 MX$39.04

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$2.83 MX$52.0

28.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.64 MX$30.14

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$2.59 MX$47.48

-44.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.33 MX$24.44

17.29%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.74 MX$50.4

-23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$8.06 MX$148

142.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$6.94 MX$127

-51.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$7.67 MX$141

45.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.72 MX$49.89

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.70 MX$31.17

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.62 MX$29.79

37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$0.52 MX$9.52

313.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.63 MX$29.99

-8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.37 MX$25.12

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.60 MX$29.44

-33.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$4.20 MX$77.1

4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$15.98 MX$293

17.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.03 MX$37.24

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.09 MX$56.8

-10.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.69 MX$12.72

214.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$41.84 MX$768

-46.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$3.71 MX$68.0

-18.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$2.45 MX$45.00

-56.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.53 MX$28.17

-6.54%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$21.4K MX$393.0K

23.09%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$24.8K MX$455.0K

5.73%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$59.0 MX$1,084

63.72%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$46.93 MX$862

-75.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$43.53 MX$799

-60.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$45.05 MX$827

17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$4.39 MX$80.7

74.26%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$88.4 MX$1,624

527.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$2,007 MX$36.9K

462.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$63.9 MX$1,173

-0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$27.58 MX$506

3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$112 MX$2,055

-13.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$84.1 MX$1,545

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$788 MX$14.5K

-6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$619 MX$11.4K

-26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,241 MX$22.8K

69.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$840 MX$15.4K

41.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$1,579 MX$29.0K

121.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$1,051 MX$19.3K

137.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$533 MX$9,785

-6.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.6

-51.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Mazatlan

$619 43.4% 35.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Mazatlan

$236 * 16.5% 12.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Mazatlan

$150 10.5% 19.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Mazatlan

$129 9.1% 3.7% $4.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Mazatlan

$180 12.6% 50.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Mazatlan

$54 3.8% 20.9% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Mazatlan

$61 4.2% 54.3% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $788 in Mazatlan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Mazatlan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $46.00 in Mazatlan. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $236 in Mazatlan – so Mazatlan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

04:02 4:02 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

441,975

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mazatlan 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mazatlan

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 Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,190 in Phuket, $1,436 in Mazatlan – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $2,155 in Mazatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $555 per month in Phuket and $88.4 in Mazatlan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Mazatlan at $1,436. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mazatlan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,190 in Phuket to $1,436 in Mazatlan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mazatlan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.