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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,108 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,744 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,380 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than in Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Puerto Escondido 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.69 MX$168

-53.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$38.37 MX$664

18.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.82 MX$135

12.02%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.37 MX$58.3

-11.87%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.28 MX$22.19

-46.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.90 MX$15.65

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.66 MX$46.05

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.80 MX$65.8

-1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.45 MX$25.03

48.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.72 MX$47.06

-33.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.08 MX$18.61

101.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.86 MX$32.14

20.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.14 MX$141

145.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.98 MX$138

-54.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.44 MX$198

18.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.62 MX$45.30

23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.04 MX$18.05

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.73 MX$29.90

34.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.75 MX$30.33

18.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.15 MX$37.13

-27.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.61 MX$45.14

-44.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.21 MX$20.86

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.97 MX$16.81

-50.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.97 MX$86.1

-12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.88 MX$188

70.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.30 MX$39.72

-19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.75 MX$47.52

-3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.68 MX$11.83

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.65 MX$45.81

19.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.58 MX$27.36

-34.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.20 MX$142

69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.27 MX$21.94

5.51%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.0K MX$363.9K

32.14%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.8K MX$393.8K

46.65%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$56.6 MX$979

117.40%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$21.78 MX$377

-36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$56.2 MX$972

-67.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$20.97 MX$363

189.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$10.72 MX$186

60.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.76 MX$82.3

86.34%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$161 MX$2,781

327.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,588 MX$62.1K

339.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$52.6 MX$911

12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$39.87 MX$690

-12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$89.2 MX$1,543

29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$79.2 MX$1,370

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$403 MX$6,967

54.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$391 MX$6,761

14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$936 MX$16.2K

117.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$751 MX$13.0K

99.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,006 MX$34.7K

72.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,206 MX$20.9K

109.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$351 MX$6,065

40.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.5

-53.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $403 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $254 per month, with Puerto Escondido 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

Puerto Escondido is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $403 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $161 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 Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Escondido 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 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.