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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,928 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,637 in Nogales.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Nogales, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Nogales 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.70 MX$201

-62.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$47.01 MX$807

-31.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$8.07 MX$138

10.66%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.62 MX$62.2

-19.89%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.39 MX$23.87

-36.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$1.16 MX$19.88

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.93 MX$50.4

-19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.85 MX$83.2

-23.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.76 MX$30.21

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$2.65 MX$45.48

-44.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.65 MX$28.25

-6.06%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.63 MX$45.21

-20.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$9.39 MX$161

108.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.92 MX$136

-56.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$11.16 MX$192

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.65 MX$45.51

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.83 MX$31.44

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.10 MX$35.96

5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.75 MX$29.96

23.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.99 MX$34.17

-23.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.05 MX$35.22

-34.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.30 MX$22.37

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.13 MX$19.42

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.16 MX$71.5

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$12.21 MX$210

56.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.95 MX$33.46

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.59 MX$61.7

-22.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.62 MX$10.58

259.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.17 MX$54.4

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.20 MX$37.74

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$11.96 MX$205

-67.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.51 MX$25.84

-1.32%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$23.8K MX$409.0K

11.55%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$22.1K MX$379.4K

22.28%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$55.4 MX$950

85.10%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$25.89 MX$444

-56.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$26.94 MX$462

-35.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$41.45 MX$712

25.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$24.02 MX$412

-53.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.24 MX$89.9

46.76%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$226 MX$3,876

148.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,341 MX$91.7K

115.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$65.4 MX$1,122

-3.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$46.27 MX$794

-36.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$123 MX$2,111

-20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$78.5 MX$1,348

12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$619 MX$10.6K

19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$372 MX$6,386

29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$945 MX$16.2K

123.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$828 MX$14.2K

48.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,151 MX$36.9K

68.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,384 MX$23.8K

88.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Nogales: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $619 in Nogales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Nogales for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,220 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,830 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: $738 in Phuket versus $619 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $226 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 $47.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,220 in Nogales versus $1,232 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.