Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Piedras Negras versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Piedras Negras versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,722 in Piedras Negras versus $2,833 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Piedras Negras 11% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 MX$197

$4.56 ฿150

155.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.04 MX$794

$32.62 ฿1,072

44.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 MX$157

$8.90 ฿293

4.49%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$64.1

$2.80 ฿92.2

35.71%

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

$1.50 MX$25.39

$0.88 ฿28.93

70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.21

$0.49 ฿16.08

132.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$48.35

$2.39 ฿78.5

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$75.5

$3.71 ฿122

20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.79 ฿58.7

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$46.82

$1.44 ฿47.38

92.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MX$30.59

$1.58 ฿52.1

14.56%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$43.97

$2.13 ฿69.9

22.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 MX$150

$19.92 ฿655

-55.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 MX$147

$3.43 ฿113

154.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 MX$210

$11.33 ฿372

10.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 MX$49.98

$2.95 ฿96.9

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.53

$1.72 ฿56.6

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.17

$2.32 ฿76.4

-10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.00

$2.08 ฿68.4

-8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.97

$1.47 ฿48.33

40.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.07

$1.36 ฿44.64

39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$24.76

$1.10 ฿36.12

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.40

$0.57 ฿18.89

101.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MX$80.4

$4.27 ฿140

11.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 MX$191

$18.42 ฿605

-38.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$32.91

$1.87 ฿61.5

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 MX$58.1

$2.92 ฿96.0

17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.31

$2.22 ฿72.9

-67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 MX$46.61

$3.03 ฿99.6

-8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MX$32.77

$1.07 ฿35.31

81.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.90 MX$201

$3.93 ฿129

202.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$24.60

$1.49 ฿49.04

-2.01%

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

$22.9K MX$386.7K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-15.54%

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

$25.7K MX$433.4K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-6.45%

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

$61.5 MX$1,038

$103 ฿3,379

-40.18%

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

$24.00 MX$405

$10.99 ฿361

118.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 MX$532

$17.51 ฿576

79.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 MX$621

$53.5 ฿1,760

-31.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.26 MX$359

$11.20 ฿368

89.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 MX$95.7

$7.48 ฿246

-24.20%

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

$248 MX$4,188

$557 ฿18.3K

-55.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,447 MX$75.1K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-62.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 MX$995

$64.1 ฿2,106

-7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.76 MX$755

$29.07 ฿956

53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,846

$96.0 ฿3,154

13.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 MX$1,545

$90.3 ฿2,970

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.1K

$730 ฿24.0K

-9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 MX$7,162

$500 ฿16.4K

-15.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 MX$18.7K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-47.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 MX$13.9K

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-32.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MX$33.8K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-44.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,255 MX$21.2K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-50.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,793 MX$30.3K

$503 ฿16.5K

256.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Piedras Negras: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $661 in Piedras Negras and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 256% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Piedras Negras vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $273 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

Piedras Negras vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 256% higher in Piedras Negras, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $661 in Piedras Negras versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $248 in Piedras Negras versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,220 in Piedras Negras versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piedras Negras 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, Piedras Negras and Phuket 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.