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: $1,108 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,744 in Puerto Escondido versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,380 in Puerto Escondido versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Escondido costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Escondido 17% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 MX$168

$4.48 ฿150

116.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.37 MX$664

$45.59 ฿1,521

-15.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 MX$135

$8.76 ฿292

-10.73%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.3

$2.97 ฿99.0

13.47%

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

$1.28 MX$22.19

$0.69 ฿22.90

85.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.65

$0.39 ฿13.04

130.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.05

$2.53 ฿84.4

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$65.8

$3.75 ฿125

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.03

$2.15 ฿71.6

-32.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.06

$1.82 ฿60.6

49.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.61

$2.18 ฿72.9

-50.46%

Eggs

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.25 ฿75.0

-17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 MX$141

$20.00 ฿667

-59.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 MX$138

$3.63 ฿121

119.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.44 MX$198

$13.56 ฿452

-15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 MX$45.30

$3.24 ฿108

-19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 MX$18.05

$1.64 ฿54.6

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.90

$2.33 ฿77.8

-25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.33

$2.07 ฿69.1

-15.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.13

$1.55 ฿51.6

38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.46 ฿48.54

78.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.86

$0.98 ฿32.86

23.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.81

$0.48 ฿16.09

102.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 MX$86.1

$4.35 ฿145

14.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 MX$188

$18.57 ฿620

-41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 MX$39.72

$1.86 ฿61.9

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$47.52

$2.65 ฿88.6

3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.83

$1.42 ฿47.28

-52.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$45.81

$3.17 ฿106

-16.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 MX$27.36

$1.03 ฿34.41

53.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 MX$142

$13.89 ฿463

-40.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.94

$1.34 ฿44.84

-5.22%

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

$21.0K MX$363.9K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-24.33%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-31.81%

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

$56.6 MX$979

$123 ฿4,105

-54.00%

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

$21.78 MX$377

$13.77 ฿459

58.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 MX$972

$18.33 ฿611

206.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.97 MX$363

$60.7 ฿2,025

-65.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.72 MX$186

$17.16 ฿573

-37.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.3

$8.87 ฿296

-46.34%

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

$161 MX$2,781

$688 ฿22.9K

-76.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,588 MX$62.1K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-77.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MX$911

$59.3 ฿1,978

-11.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 MX$690

$34.69 ฿1,157

14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MX$1,543

$115 ฿3,843

-22.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MX$1,370

$83.8 ฿2,794

-5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$6,967

$621 ฿20.7K

-35.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,761

$446 ฿14.9K

-12.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 MX$16.2K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-53.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 MX$13.0K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-49.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,006 MX$34.7K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-41.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,206 MX$20.9K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-52.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$351 MX$6,065

$494 ฿16.5K

-28.98%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Puerto Escondido and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 41% 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: $38.00 in Puerto Escondido vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $291 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Phuket. 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: $403 in Puerto Escondido versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Puerto Escondido versus $688 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 $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,264 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.