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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,047 in Puerto Penasco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,636 in Puerto Penasco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,224 in Puerto Penasco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Puerto Penasco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puerto Penasco 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.57 MX$201

-59.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$41.82 MX$725

8.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$17.24 MX$299

-51.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$4.63 MX$80.3

-36.72%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.38 MX$23.88

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.00 MX$17.41

-63.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.46 MX$60.0

-30.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.06 MX$87.7

-26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.49 MX$25.90

49.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$3.06 MX$53.1

-40.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.97 MX$16.89

123.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.79 MX$48.42

-20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.79 MX$83.0

312.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$10.26 MX$178

-64.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.41 MX$163

43.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.04 MX$70.0

-18.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.82 MX$31.57

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.94 MX$50.9

-18.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.04 MX$35.29

1.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.97 MX$34.21

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.93 MX$33.36

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.36 MX$23.53

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.51 MX$26.13

-66.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.42 MX$76.6

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$14.43 MX$250

34.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.58 MX$27.30

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.41 MX$24.44

92.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.64 MX$11.14

114.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.16 MX$37.38

39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.71 MX$46.90

-63.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.22 MX$142

71.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.30 MX$22.58

4.62%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.5K MX$373.0K

31.04%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.3K MX$385.6K

47.85%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$32.19 MX$558

278.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.45 MX$181

29.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$31.42 MX$544

-41.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$32.22 MX$558

86.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$16.02 MX$278

6.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.67 MX$46.26

225.47%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$203 MX$3,509

242.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,537 MX$61.3K

343.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$41.64 MX$722

42.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$26.28 MX$455

32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$62.2 MX$1,078

84.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$64.2 MX$1,113

29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$509 MX$8,822

20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$322 MX$5,584

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$884 MX$15.3K

136.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$525 MX$9,096

187.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,828 MX$31.7K

105.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,294 MX$22.4K

102.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$611 MX$10.6K

-16.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.5

-43.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $509 in Puerto Penasco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Penasco pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Puerto Penasco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $280 per month, with Puerto Penasco 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 Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Penasco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Puerto Penasco earns 20% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $509 in Puerto Penasco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $203 in Puerto Penasco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Penasco – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Penasco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Penasco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Penasco 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 Penasco 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 Penasco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.