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: $1,085 in Piedras Negras versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,689 in Piedras Negras versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,293 in Piedras Negras versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Piedras Negras costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Piedras Negras 19% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 MX$135

$4.66 ฿150

67.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.96 MX$415

$46.44 ฿1,496

-48.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$8.68 ฿280

-7.95%

Cappuccino

$2.44 MX$42.36

$2.95 ฿95.0

-17.29%

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

$1.32 MX$22.85

$0.70 ฿22.52

88.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.72

$0.39 ฿12.70

74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 MX$23.25

$2.53 ฿81.6

-47.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$48.99

$3.78 ฿122

-25.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.38

$2.22 ฿71.5

-26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.80 ฿57.8

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.12

$2.19 ฿70.4

-23.29%

Eggs

$3.50 MX$60.7

$2.31 ฿74.5

51.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MX$164

$19.34 ฿623

-50.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MX$78.3

$3.77 ฿121

19.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 MX$225

$13.22 ฿426

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.05

$3.33 ฿107

-21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$22.50

$1.65 ฿53.1

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.21

$2.29 ฿73.7

-28.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.28

$1.99 ฿64.1

8.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$39.86

$1.53 ฿49.24

50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.56

$1.51 ฿48.77

24.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MX$20.16

$1.03 ฿33.12

12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.51

$0.51 ฿16.57

121.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.0

$4.41 ฿142

-7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 MX$192

$19.41 ฿625

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.69

$1.80 ฿58.0

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MX$60.2

$2.68 ฿86.4

29.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 MX$16.88

$1.43 ฿46.11

-32.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 MX$76.1

$3.04 ฿97.9

44.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$26.95

$1.04 ฿33.37

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 MX$148

$13.68 ฿441

-37.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.54

$1.30 ฿41.85

-4.62%

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

$18.4K MX$318.3K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-34.17%

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

$24.0K MX$415.6K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-27.40%

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

$57.0 MX$988

$123 ฿3,962

-53.62%

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

$17.16 MX$297

$13.82 ฿445

24.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.54 MX$443

$18.86 ฿608

35.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.99 MX$624

$61.2 ฿1,970

-41.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 MX$271

$16.81 ฿541

-6.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MX$81.4

$8.87 ฿286

-47.01%

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

$208 MX$3,596

$696 ฿22.4K

-70.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,566 MX$61.8K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-77.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 MX$783

$59.3 ฿1,910

-23.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 MX$692

$34.85 ฿1,123

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 MX$1,523

$113 ฿3,646

-22.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MX$1,228

$85.1 ฿2,740

-16.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,754

$615 ฿19.8K

-17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$6,925

$448 ฿14.4K

-10.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 MX$16.0K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 MX$13.0K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-49.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 MX$34.0K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-47.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,290 MX$22.4K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-51.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,710 MX$29.6K

$534 ฿17.2K

220.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.33

115.38%

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

Last update for Piedras Negras: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Piedras Negras and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 220% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Piedras Negras vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $291 per month, with Piedras Negras 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Piedras Negras pays 220% more on average, 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: $505 in Piedras Negras versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Piedras Negras versus $696 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 $24.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,085 in Piedras Negras versus $1,270 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.