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 $1,534 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,362 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,190 in Queretaro.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Queretaro is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$12.01 MX$204

-61.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$65.4 MX$1,109

-50.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$9.50 MX$161

-8.63%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.97 MX$67.4

-26.95%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.84 MX$31.21

-54.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.11 MX$18.82

-55.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.94 MX$66.8

-37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.82 MX$98.8

-35.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.91 MX$32.40

-1.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.84 MX$48.23

-50.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.12 MX$35.92

-23.58%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.97 MX$50.4

-24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.68 MX$164

104.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$9.54 MX$162

-63.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$14.54 MX$247

-21.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.74 MX$63.4

-22.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.70 MX$28.90

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.31 MX$39.26

-1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.06 MX$35.02

3.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.08 MX$35.32

-29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.93 MX$32.81

-26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.58 MX$26.87

-30.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.34 MX$22.70

-55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.99 MX$84.7

-13.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$18.93 MX$321

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.39 MX$40.61

-24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.64 MX$78.6

-35.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.62 MX$10.54

262.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$27.65 MX$469

-15.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.59 MX$60.9

-13.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.88 MX$48.90

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$11.68 MX$198

-66.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.62 MX$27.50

-11.73%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$22.5K MX$382.2K

23.33%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$26.0K MX$441.7K

3.64%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$64.6 MX$1,096

62.25%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$29.40 MX$499

-61.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$27.07 MX$459

-35.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$61.5 MX$1,044

-11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$26.66 MX$452

-57.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.17 MX$139

-4.77%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$282 MX$4,785

104.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$5,531 MX$93.8K

109.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$55.9 MX$949

13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$48.80 MX$828

-40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$109 MX$1,853

-11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$108 MX$1,831

-16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$911 MX$15.4K

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$614 MX$10.4K

-18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,613 MX$27.4K

31.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$894 MX$15.2K

40.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,384 MX$40.4K

48.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,350 MX$22.9K

94.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$952 MX$16.2K

-46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.99

-53.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $911 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 88% 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 $65.0 in Queretaro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $328 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $911 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $282 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Queretaro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,534 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 21% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.