Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Penasco

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Puerto Penasco: $1,208 and $1,205 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
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Puerto Penasco Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,205

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Penasco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Puerto Penasco.

Phuket $1,208
Puerto Penasco $1,205

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,921 in Puerto Penasco.

Phuket $2,027
Puerto Penasco $1,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,638 in Puerto Penasco.

Phuket $2,845
Puerto Penasco $2,638

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Puerto Penasco; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Puerto Penasco 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$12.28 MX$227

-64.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$44.08 MX$814

-26.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.65 MX$160

1.27%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$4.66 MX$86.2

-39.27%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.41 MX$26.04

-36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.03 MX$19.09

-54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.50 MX$46.15

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.92 MX$72.5

-2.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.57 MX$28.93

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.01 MX$55.6

-51.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.72 MX$31.83

-12.21%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.02 MX$55.8

-28.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$4.78 MX$88.4

312.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$10.73 MX$198

-68.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.46 MX$175

17.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.32 MX$79.9

-34.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.91 MX$35.29

-10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.07 MX$56.7

-28.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.10 MX$38.82

-2.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.93 MX$35.60

-24.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.00 MX$36.97

-31.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.46 MX$27.00

-26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.55 MX$28.58

-67.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.39 MX$81.1

-2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$13.62 MX$252

36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.56 MX$28.84

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.50 MX$27.65

90.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.63 MX$11.72

258.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.14 MX$39.60

40.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.96 MX$54.7

-64.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$10.94 MX$202

-64.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.40 MX$25.79

3.57%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$20.9K MX$386.8K

25.78%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$24.4K MX$451.5K

10.27%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$70.4 MX$1,302

36.85%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$12.65 MX$234

-12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$42.57 MX$787

-59.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$33.27 MX$615

56.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$19.79 MX$366

-43.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.32 MX$98.3

46.80%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$223 MX$4,112

149.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$4,550 MX$84.1K

154.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$54.1 MX$1,000

18.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$41.03 MX$758

-30.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$100 MX$1,852

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$90.5 MX$1,673

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$527 MX$9,747

39.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$388 MX$7,161

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$916 MX$16.9K

128.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$757 MX$14.0K

58.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,900 MX$35.1K

83.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,149 MX$21.2K

119.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$583 MX$10.8K

-14.05%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Puerto Penasco

$388 32.2% 16.2% $75

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Puerto Penasco

$289 24% 7.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Puerto Penasco

$126 10.4% 0.9% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Puerto Penasco

$129 10.7% 3.5% $4.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Puerto Penasco

$210 17.5% 73.4% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6% 35.2% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Puerto Penasco

$19 * 1.6% 50.6% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $527 in Puerto Penasco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Penasco pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Puerto Penasco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

08:30 8:30 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

56,756

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Puerto Penasco 14,490 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Puerto Penasco

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 Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $527 in Puerto Penasco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Penasco – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $223 in Puerto Penasco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,205 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,208 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.

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