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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,074 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,755 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,436 in Nogales.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Nogales, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Nogales 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.79 MX$152

-49.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$42.62 MX$737

6.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.78 MX$135

12.60%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.20 MX$55.4

-7.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.41 MX$24.46

-51.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.81 MX$14.01

-51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.83 MX$31.59

38.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.81 MX$66.0

-1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.44 MX$24.90

49.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.64 MX$45.67

-31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.63 MX$28.22

33.74%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.32 MX$40.11

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.19 MX$142

144.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.83 MX$135

-53.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.44 MX$181

29.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.68 MX$46.41

20.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.39 MX$24.01

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.72 MX$29.82

35.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.58 MX$27.38

31.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.87 MX$32.35

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.94 MX$33.57

-24.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.26 MX$21.88

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.97 MX$16.82

-50.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.07 MX$70.4

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.95 MX$189

69.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.55 MX$26.83

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.76 MX$47.69

-3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.61 MX$10.50

132.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.47 MX$60.0

-8.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.58 MX$27.38

-34.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.43 MX$146

64.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.35 MX$23.39

-0.74%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.7K MX$358.9K

33.97%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.6K MX$391.0K

47.71%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$55.7 MX$964

120.76%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.43 MX$388

-38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$28.35 MX$490

-35.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$36.31 MX$628

67.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.77 MX$273

8.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.62 MX$79.9

91.99%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$203 MX$3,510

239.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,604 MX$62.4K

337.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$52.3 MX$904

13.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$40.02 MX$692

-13.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$90.2 MX$1,561

27.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$80.7 MX$1,395

3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$506 MX$8,752

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$396 MX$6,850

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$917 MX$15.9K

121.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$760 MX$13.1K

96.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,041 MX$35.3K

69.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,212 MX$21.0K

108.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nogales: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $506 in Nogales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Nogales for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $250 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,074 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,611 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: $621 in Phuket versus $506 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 $43.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Nogales versus $1,264 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.