Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,779 in Puerto Escondido versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,420 in Puerto Escondido versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Escondido costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Escondido 15% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 MX$160

$4.56 ฿149

103.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 MX$674

$46.63 ฿1,519

-15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 MX$135

$8.47 ฿276

-7.32%

Cappuccino

$3.27 MX$56.1

$3.03 ฿98.6

7.92%

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

$1.27 MX$21.82

$0.69 ฿22.45

84.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.69

$0.37 ฿11.92

162.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 MX$44.17

$2.49 ฿81.0

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$65.7

$3.66 ฿119

4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.80

$2.18 ฿71.0

-33.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.12

$1.90 ฿62.0

44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$18.44

$2.20 ฿71.6

-51.36%

Eggs

$1.92 MX$32.97

$2.22 ฿72.4

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 MX$138

$19.99 ฿651

-59.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$137

$3.66 ฿119

117.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 MX$198

$13.25 ฿432

-13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.15

$3.23 ฿105

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 MX$17.81

$1.70 ฿55.3

-38.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.42

$2.39 ฿78.0

-25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.14

$2.08 ฿67.7

-15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.84

$1.59 ฿51.8

35.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$46.08

$1.48 ฿48.31

81.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.67

$1.03 ฿33.54

16.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.48

$0.52 ฿16.83

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 MX$84.8

$4.25 ฿138

16.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 MX$183

$18.79 ฿612

-43.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 MX$37.85

$1.76 ฿57.2

25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$49.16

$2.76 ฿89.8

3.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.60

$1.36 ฿44.32

-46.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 MX$43.27

$3.14 ฿102

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.42

$1.04 ฿33.74

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 MX$145

$13.77 ฿448

-38.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.74

$1.34 ฿43.79

-1.49%

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

$21.1K MX$362.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-23.60%

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

$22.1K MX$378.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-34.83%

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

$57.6 MX$988

$124 ฿4,025

-53.43%

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

$22.22 MX$381

$13.52 ฿440

64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 MX$962

$18.69 ฿609

199.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.41 MX$368

$61.8 ฿2,013

-65.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.66 MX$183

$17.25 ฿562

-38.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$80.4

$9.14 ฿298

-48.80%

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

$158 MX$2,707

$703 ฿22.9K

-77.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,658 MX$62.8K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-76.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 MX$905

$59.5 ฿1,937

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$694

$35.07 ฿1,142

15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 MX$1,514

$115 ฿3,754

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,353

$84.1 ฿2,737

-6.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,689

$619 ฿20.1K

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$6,865

$433 ฿14.1K

-7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 MX$16.2K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-48.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 MX$33.7K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-46.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,276 MX$21.9K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-51.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 MX$5,983

$507 ฿16.5K

-31.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.33

115.76%

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

Last update for Puerto Escondido: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Puerto Escondido and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% 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: $39.00 in Puerto Escondido vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $293 per month, with Puerto Escondido 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

Puerto Escondido vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Escondido is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 45% 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: $390 in Puerto Escondido versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $158 in Puerto Escondido versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,138 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Escondido 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, Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.