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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,087 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,655 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,223 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Piedras Negras 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.72 MX$135

-40.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.95 MX$419

95.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.89 MX$138

12.04%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.58 MX$45.20

16.28%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.32 MX$23.07

-43.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.64 MX$11.28

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.30 MX$22.79

87.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.93 MX$51.3

23.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.69 MX$29.56

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.98 MX$52.1

-38.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.69 MX$29.63

32.54%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.63 MX$63.5

-36.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.74 MX$170

101.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.71 MX$82.4

-22.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.97 MX$227

1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.67 MX$46.70

26.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.28 MX$22.48

28.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.64 MX$28.65

46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.15 MX$37.61

-5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.31 MX$40.35

-32.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.87 MX$32.77

-19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.22 MX$21.31

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.12 MX$19.65

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.21 MX$73.8

5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.82 MX$189

74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.55 MX$27.14

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.34 MX$58.5

-17.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.94 MX$16.50

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.28 MX$74.9

-27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.56 MX$27.29

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.54 MX$150

64.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.20 MX$21.01

12.50%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$18.6K MX$325.5K

46.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.8K MX$416.6K

38.28%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$55.9 MX$978

123.66%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.37 MX$304

-21.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$25.98 MX$455

-28.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.75 MX$626

71.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.98 MX$280

5.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.70 MX$82.2

95.53%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$205 MX$3,589

240.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,664 MX$64.1K

325.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$44.40 MX$777

30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.78 MX$696

-11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$89.5 MX$1,566

26.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$70.2 MX$1,228

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$503 MX$8,796

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$389 MX$6,812

14.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$915 MX$16.0K

123.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$766 MX$13.4K

94.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,979 MX$34.6K

90.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,249 MX$21.9K

112.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,747 MX$30.6K

-70.02%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $503 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 234% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Piedras Negras earns 234% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $503 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $205 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Piedras Negras versus $1,232 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.