Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Escondido

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Escondido: $1,219 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Escondido
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Puerto Escondido Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Puerto Escondido

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Puerto Escondido

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Puerto Escondido actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Puerto Escondido.

Phuket $1,278
Puerto Escondido $1,219

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,895 in Puerto Escondido.

Phuket $2,216
Puerto Escondido $1,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,572 in Puerto Escondido.

Phuket $3,154
Puerto Escondido $2,572

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Puerto Escondido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puerto Escondido 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.04 MX$189

-55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$42.27 MX$794

-23.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.37 MX$157

5.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.49 MX$65.6

-18.91%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.32 MX$24.90

-34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.01 MX$18.93

-51.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.98 MX$56.0

-14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.11 MX$77.3

-10.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.80 MX$33.87

-7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.81 MX$52.9

-48.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.55 MX$29.06

-3.23%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.69 MX$50.6

-22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.00 MX$150

138.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.93 MX$205

-69.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.46 MX$215

-4.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.75 MX$51.7

6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.65 MX$30.96

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.87 MX$35.15

20.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.77 MX$33.31

17.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.61 MX$30.21

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.05 MX$38.46

-32.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.47 MX$27.58

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.13 MX$21.32

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.42 MX$83.2

-4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.36 MX$195

81.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.32 MX$43.51

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.03 MX$57.0

-6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.79 MX$14.80

83.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$31.45 MX$591

80.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.61 MX$48.99

15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.77 MX$33.25

-42.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$11.22 MX$211

-67.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.35 MX$25.33

8.89%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$21.2K MX$397.7K

26.53%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$21.8K MX$409.1K

22.62%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$51.7 MX$972

86.26%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$22.32 MX$420

-49.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$35.63 MX$670

-52.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$27.21 MX$511

147.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.22 MX$380

-46.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.02 MX$94.3

49.40%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$216 MX$4,051

120.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$4,627 MX$87.0K

143.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$50.7 MX$953

23.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$43.62 MX$820

-34.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$85.1 MX$1,599

10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$97.7 MX$1,835

-12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$598 MX$11.2K

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$439 MX$8,242

11.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$938 MX$17.6K

105.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$753 MX$14.2K

89.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,004 MX$37.7K

108.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,179 MX$22.2K

158.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$329 MX$6,181

52.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.31

-50.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Puerto Escondido

$439 36% 10.7% $52

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Puerto Escondido

$283 23.2% 6.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Puerto Escondido

$110 9% 11.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Puerto Escondido

$125 10.2% 2.3% $2.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Puerto Escondido

$180 14.8% 47.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Puerto Escondido

$37 3.1% 54.7% $45

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Puerto Escondido

$46 3.8% 34.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $598 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $42 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $283 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Puerto Escondido

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

04:44 4:44 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

25,902

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Puerto Escondido 16,870 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Puerto Escondido

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 5% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $598 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $216 in Puerto Escondido. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Puerto Escondido gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Puerto Escondido wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.