Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Queretaro Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Queretaro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,276 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,010 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,744 in Queretaro.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 1% less than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Queretaro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$9.85 MX$171

-52.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$46.14 MX$800

-1.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.05 MX$140

4.72%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.60 MX$62.4

-18.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.31 MX$22.63

-47.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.95 MX$16.54

-61.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.33 MX$40.33

3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.30 MX$74.6

-13.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.54 MX$26.77

44.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.68 MX$46.37

-31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.95 MX$33.80

11.28%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.37 MX$41.08

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.07 MX$140

144.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.79 MX$170

-62.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.86 MX$223

5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.60 MX$62.3

-8.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.46 MX$25.35

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.90 MX$32.93

26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.78 MX$30.92

16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.78 MX$30.90

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.88 MX$32.57

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.25 MX$21.64

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.14 MX$19.79

-55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.24 MX$73.5

4.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$17.05 MX$296

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.99 MX$34.52

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.31 MX$57.3

-18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.60 MX$10.33

128.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$23.90 MX$414

-52.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.13 MX$54.3

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.24 MX$21.40

-20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$9.39 MX$163

50.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.31 MX$22.71

3.82%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$20.0K MX$345.8K

41.33%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.6K MX$357.1K

59.66%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$63.4 MX$1,099

91.90%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$24.19 MX$419

-43.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$28.06 MX$486

-34.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$49.09 MX$851

22.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$26.23 MX$455

-34.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.07 MX$105

43.16%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$319 MX$5,536

117.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,824 MX$83.6K

225.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$51.4 MX$891

15.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$42.09 MX$729

-17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$99.6 MX$1,726

15.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$95.8 MX$1,661

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$633 MX$11.0K

-3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$497 MX$8,615

-12.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,190 MX$20.6K

75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$792 MX$13.7K

90.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,333 MX$40.4K

60.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,347 MX$23.3K

94.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$924 MX$16.0K

-44.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.55

-53.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $633 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 82% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Queretaro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $293 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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Queretaro earns 82% 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 $633 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $319 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Queretaro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,276 in Queretaro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Queretaro. 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 Queretaro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Queretaro 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 1% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.