Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nogales Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nogales

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,093 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,759 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,426 in Nogales.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than Nogales, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Nogales 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$9.06 MX$156

-49.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$41.57 MX$713

12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.14 MX$140

4.05%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.17 MX$54.4

-4.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.41 MX$24.24

-51.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.77 MX$13.28

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.91 MX$32.71

30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.88 MX$66.6

-5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.45 MX$24.86

50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.60 MX$44.57

-26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.56 MX$26.73

41.03%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.37 MX$40.68

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.81 MX$134

155.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.68 MX$132

-52.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.43 MX$179

27.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.58 MX$44.29

25.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.45 MX$24.82

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.74 MX$29.83

37.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.65 MX$28.38

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.92 MX$32.87

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.96 MX$33.61

-24.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.20 MX$20.57

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.01 MX$17.34

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.07 MX$69.8

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.00 MX$172

87.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.59 MX$27.29

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.85 MX$48.84

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.60 MX$10.36

126.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.40 MX$58.4

-7.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.60 MX$27.44

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.22 MX$141

67.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.35 MX$23.25

-0.74%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.0K MX$361.1K

31.55%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.8K MX$392.1K

48.23%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$56.5 MX$969

118.82%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$22.55 MX$387

-40.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$28.43 MX$488

-34.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.29 MX$623

70.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$16.19 MX$278

6.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.65 MX$79.8

96.56%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$203 MX$3,484

246.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,557 MX$61.1K

346.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$52.9 MX$908

12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$39.28 MX$674

-10.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.2 MX$1,532

29.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$80.1 MX$1,376

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$504 MX$8,646

22.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$390 MX$6,690

10.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$948 MX$16.3K

117.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$766 MX$13.2K

97.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,026 MX$34.8K

79.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,419 MX$24.3K

85.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Nogales: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $504 in Nogales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Nogales for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $246 per month, with Nogales 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 Nogales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Nogales differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,093 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,639 in Nogales 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: $619 in Phuket versus $504 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $203 in Nogales. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nogales – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Nogales versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nogales but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nogales 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 Nogales 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 Nogales gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.