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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,304 in Puerto Penasco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,091 in Puerto Penasco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,878 in Puerto Penasco.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Puerto Penasco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Puerto Penasco 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$12.85 MX$217

-64.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$46.42 MX$784

-29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$9.28 MX$157

-4.09%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$5.07 MX$85.7

-44.77%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.52 MX$25.64

-42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.11 MX$18.70

-55.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.97 MX$50.2

-19.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.51 MX$76.2

-17.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.76 MX$29.71

1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$3.27 MX$55.2

-55.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.80 MX$30.44

-12.22%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.22 MX$54.5

-33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.45 MX$92.0

265.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$11.16 MX$189

-69.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.43 MX$176

8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$4.52 MX$76.4

-34.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.09 MX$35.35

-17.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$3.26 MX$55.1

-28.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.25 MX$38.10

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.13 MX$36.07

-30.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.26 MX$38.25

-39.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.46 MX$24.69

-24.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.64 MX$27.70

-65.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.83 MX$81.7

-11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$14.77 MX$250

24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.69 MX$28.64

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.58 MX$26.63

84.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.78 MX$13.13

184.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.32 MX$39.18

30.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$3.32 MX$56.1

-67.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$12.76 MX$216

-69.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.51 MX$25.56

-1.32%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.4K MX$361.7K

26.76%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$22.5K MX$379.7K

22.19%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$75.6 MX$1,277

36.05%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$13.79 MX$233

-20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$45.53 MX$769

-61.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$34.67 MX$586

54.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$21.15 MX$357

-47.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.74 MX$97.0

30.31%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$220 MX$3,715

153.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$4,290 MX$72.5K

176.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$58.4 MX$987

9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$44.34 MX$749

-34.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$107 MX$1,806

-10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$93.4 MX$1,579

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$562 MX$9,495

29.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$416 MX$7,023

20.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,015 MX$17.2K

105.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$810 MX$13.7K

49.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,776 MX$30.0K

102.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,054 MX$17.8K

138.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$631 MX$10.7K

-20.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.55

-47.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $562 in Puerto Penasco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Penasco pays 25% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Puerto Penasco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $311 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 Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Puerto Penasco. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $562 in Puerto Penasco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $220 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $46.00 in Puerto Penasco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,304 in Puerto Penasco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puerto Penasco. 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 Penasco, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Puerto Penasco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.