Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piedras Negras Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piedras Negras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,073 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,675 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,277 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.17 MX$142

-45.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$24.21 MX$422

88.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.92 MX$138

10.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.56 MX$44.62

16.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.27 MX$22.15

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.68 MX$11.88

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.29 MX$22.47

96.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.84 MX$49.46

32.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.69 MX$29.42

27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.98 MX$51.9

-38.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.70 MX$29.66

28.24%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$3.68 MX$64.2

-38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.38 MX$164

113.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.76 MX$83.1

-23.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$13.09 MX$228

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.69 MX$46.89

20.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.35 MX$23.51

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.63 MX$28.42

42.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$2.24 MX$39.06

-7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.22 MX$38.80

-30.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.84 MX$32.08

-20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.20 MX$20.98

-18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.12 MX$19.57

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.07 MX$71.0

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$10.68 MX$186

73.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.56 MX$27.28

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$3.48 MX$60.7

-23.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.89 MX$15.58

59.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.48 MX$78.1

-29.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.61 MX$28.04

-36.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$8.42 MX$147

64.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.19 MX$20.82

12.61%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$18.3K MX$318.3K

52.25%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.7K MX$414.1K

40.60%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$56.2 MX$980

118.99%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$16.93 MX$295

-18.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$25.93 MX$452

-29.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$36.57 MX$638

65.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$16.03 MX$280

7.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$4.76 MX$82.9

86.34%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$209 MX$3,646

229.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$3,636 MX$63.4K

334.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$45.03 MX$785

31.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$40.37 MX$704

-14.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$89.9 MX$1,568

28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$70.0 MX$1,221

19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$507 MX$8,849

22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$396 MX$6,909

12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$927 MX$16.2K

119.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$753 MX$13.1K

98.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,916 MX$33.4K

80.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

104.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,714 MX$29.9K

-71.21%

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 Piedras Negras: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $507 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 247% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $263 per month, with Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 247% lower in Piedras Negras. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $507 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $209 in Piedras Negras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,073 in Piedras Negras versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piedras Negras is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras 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.