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 $1,214 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,938 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,662 in Piedras Negras.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.89 MX$205

-62.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$46.61 MX$804

-30.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.82 MX$152

1.25%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.81 MX$65.7

-23.88%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.50 MX$25.84

-41.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.07 MX$18.42

-55.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.88 MX$49.59

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.33 MX$74.6

-14.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.77 MX$30.52

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.87 MX$49.43

-48.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.74 MX$30.07

-10.92%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.60 MX$44.84

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.74 MX$151

124.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.83 MX$152

-61.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.31 MX$212

-7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.97 MX$51.2

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.67 MX$28.85

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.09 MX$35.96

5.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.92 MX$33.09

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.14 MX$36.85

-28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.95 MX$33.63

-31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.50 MX$25.93

-24.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.19 MX$20.60

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.72 MX$81.3

-9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.41 MX$197

67.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.99 MX$34.27

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.42 MX$58.9

-18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.71 MX$12.31

214.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.83 MX$48.86

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.00 MX$34.55

-49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$11.84 MX$204

-67.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.43 MX$24.64

4.20%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.4K MX$386.0K

18.72%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.8K MX$445.1K

4.70%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$69.6 MX$1,200

47.25%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.19 MX$417

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$31.11 MX$536

-44.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$37.02 MX$638

40.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$21.73 MX$375

-49.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.58 MX$96.2

37.81%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$244 MX$4,209

129.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,309 MX$74.3K

167.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$58.0 MX$1,000

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$44.60 MX$769

-33.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$109 MX$1,875

-9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$90.8 MX$1,565

-2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$652 MX$11.2K

13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$420 MX$7,238

14.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,130 MX$19.5K

86.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$821 MX$14.2K

49.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,989 MX$34.3K

81.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,237 MX$21.3K

110.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,751 MX$30.2K

-71.81%

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 Piedras Negras: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $652 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 255% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $284 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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 255% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $652 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $244 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 $47.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,214 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.