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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,993 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,692 in Queretaro.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 3% less than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Queretaro 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.43 MX$165

-51.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$45.49 MX$798

1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$7.73 MX$136

14.36%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.53 MX$61.9

-13.31%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.31 MX$23.03

-44.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.96 MX$16.83

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.40 MX$42.04

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.28 MX$75.1

-11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.61 MX$28.18

40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.61 MX$45.70

-30.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.93 MX$33.86

16.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.32 MX$40.77

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.44 MX$148

131.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$9.42 MX$165

-61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.11 MX$230

-0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.58 MX$62.8

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.46 MX$25.56

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.90 MX$33.39

25.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.71 MX$29.97

18.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.73 MX$30.33

-11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.84 MX$32.21

-18.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.30 MX$22.84

-24.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.14 MX$20.01

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.20 MX$73.7

5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$17.06 MX$299

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.94 MX$34.04

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.26 MX$57.2

-17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.55 MX$9.70

156.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$23.65 MX$415

-50.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.26 MX$57.1

-4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.24 MX$21.67

-16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$9.30 MX$163

51.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.26 MX$22.05

3.97%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$19.7K MX$345.9K

41.04%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.5K MX$359.9K

61.88%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$62.5 MX$1,096

95.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$23.75 MX$417

-42.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.25 MX$495

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$50.1 MX$878

20.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$26.33 MX$462

-35.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.12 MX$107

48.20%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$314 MX$5,500

125.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,841 MX$84.9K

226.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$50.8 MX$891

15.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$41.93 MX$735

-15.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$98.4 MX$1,725

17.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$98.4 MX$1,726

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$654 MX$11.5K

-4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$491 MX$8,605

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,200 MX$21.0K

70.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$810 MX$14.2K

84.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,327 MX$40.8K

49.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,318 MX$23.1K

95.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$914 MX$16.0K

-45.31%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $654 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 83% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Queretaro. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $292, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Queretaro. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $654 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $314 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Queretaro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,294 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 3% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.