Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,974 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,693 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Puerto Escondido 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.20 MX$193

-60.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$47.27 MX$815

-31.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.59 MX$148

3.96%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.67 MX$63.4

-20.98%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.45 MX$24.93

-39.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.10 MX$19.02

-56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.30 MX$56.9

-28.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.31 MX$74.3

-13.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.93 MX$33.29

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.02 MX$52.1

-51.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.68 MX$28.88

-7.74%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.98 MX$51.4

-29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.59 MX$148

128.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.60 MX$200

-70.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.44 MX$215

-8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.95 MX$50.9

1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.80 MX$31.08

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.99 MX$34.29

11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.96 MX$33.74

10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.76 MX$30.35

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.13 MX$36.80

-37.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.59 MX$27.40

-28.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.14 MX$19.72

-51.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.80 MX$82.7

-11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.52 MX$199

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.52 MX$43.47

-29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.26 MX$56.2

-14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.86 MX$14.86

159.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.36 MX$40.73

28.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.20 MX$38.00

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$12.64 MX$218

-69.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.46 MX$25.23

2.05%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$25.0K MX$430.7K

6.42%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.0K MX$378.9K

23.00%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$55.9 MX$963

83.41%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$23.32 MX$402

-51.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$39.03 MX$673

-55.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$29.67 MX$512

75.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$21.13 MX$364

-47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.31 MX$91.5

44.82%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$251 MX$4,331

123.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,114 MX$88.2K

124.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$54.9 MX$947

14.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$38.54 MX$665

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$99.9 MX$1,723

-1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$96.1 MX$1,657

-7.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$654 MX$11.3K

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$414 MX$7,133

16.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,006 MX$17.3K

109.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$821 MX$14.1K

49.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,902 MX$32.8K

90.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,137 MX$19.6K

128.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$345 MX$5,945

43.15%

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 Puerto Escondido: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $654 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 43% 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 Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $304 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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $654 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $251 in Puerto Escondido. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $47.00 in Puerto Escondido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Puerto Escondido, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puerto Escondido. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puerto Escondido 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Puerto Escondido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.