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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,766 in Puerto Vallarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,686 in Puerto Vallarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,607 in Puerto Vallarta.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in Puerto Vallarta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Puerto Vallarta is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.61 MX$252

-69.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$61.1 MX$1,053

-47.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$11.65 MX$201

-23.35%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.31 MX$74.3

-32.71%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.04 MX$35.25

-56.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.50 MX$25.87

-68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.20 MX$55.2

-26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.48 MX$77.3

-16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.04 MX$35.24

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.69 MX$63.6

-60.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.24 MX$38.58

-30.80%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.59 MX$44.71

-18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.06 MX$173

94.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$12.63 MX$218

-72.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$18.24 MX$315

-37.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.88 MX$49.64

3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.57 MX$27.07

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.94 MX$33.47

13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.16 MX$37.29

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.21 MX$38.16

-31.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.27 MX$56.4

-59.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.70 MX$29.37

-33.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.25 MX$21.60

-56.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.68 MX$80.8

-8.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$12.35 MX$213

54.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.06 MX$35.49

-13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.11 MX$53.6

-10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.62 MX$10.73

259.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$22.45 MX$387

1.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.47 MX$77.1

-32.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.83 MX$48.87

-63.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$4.80 MX$82.8

-18.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.60 MX$27.51

-6.88%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.9K MX$394.7K

16.11%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.1K MX$450.6K

3.43%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$133 MX$2,298

-23.13%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$33.72 MX$581

-66.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$35.00 MX$604

-50.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$40.88 MX$705

27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$15.79 MX$272

-29.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.72 MX$168

-20.88%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$375 MX$6,470

49.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,300 MX$108.6K

82.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$59.3 MX$1,022

6.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.69 MX$633

-19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$109 MX$1,879

-10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$102 MX$1,759

-13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,440 MX$24.8K

-48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$736 MX$12.7K

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,172 MX$37.4K

-3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,270 MX$21.9K

-3.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$5,350 MX$92.2K

-32.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,577 MX$44.4K

1.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$941 MX$16.2K

-47.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.7

-52.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,440 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Vallarta pays 91% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $61.0 in Puerto Vallarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $343 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 Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Puerto Vallarta. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,440 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $375 in Puerto Vallarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Puerto Vallarta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,766 in Puerto Vallarta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puerto Vallarta. 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 Vallarta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puerto Vallarta 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 43% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.