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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Puerto Penasco versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,224 in Puerto Penasco versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Penasco costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Penasco 22% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 MX$201

$4.70 ฿154

146.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.82 MX$725

$45.37 ฿1,483

-7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.24 MX$299

$8.43 ฿276

104.51%

Cappuccino

$4.63 MX$80.3

$2.93 ฿95.7

58.02%

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

$1.38 MX$23.88

$0.69 ฿22.42

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.41

$0.37 ฿12.00

170.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 MX$60.0

$2.41 ฿78.7

43.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MX$87.7

$3.72 ฿122

36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.90

$2.23 ฿73.0

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 MX$53.1

$1.83 ฿59.9

67.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.89

$2.17 ฿70.9

-55.30%

Eggs

$2.79 MX$48.42

$2.21 ฿72.4

26.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.79 MX$83.0

$19.74 ฿645

-75.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.26 MX$178

$3.63 ฿119

182.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 MX$163

$13.53 ฿442

-30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 MX$70.0

$3.28 ฿107

23.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.57

$1.61 ฿52.7

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 MX$50.9

$2.41 ฿78.7

21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.29

$2.08 ฿68.1

-1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.21

$1.53 ฿49.97

28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.36

$1.48 ฿48.41

30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.99 ฿32.32

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.51 ฿16.68

196.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MX$76.6

$4.41 ฿144

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MX$250

$19.38 ฿634

-25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.30

$1.78 ฿58.1

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.44

$2.71 ฿88.7

-47.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.14

$1.37 ฿44.83

-53.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.38

$3.02 ฿98.7

-28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MX$46.90

$0.99 ฿32.51

173.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 MX$142

$14.10 ฿461

-41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.58

$1.36 ฿44.55

-4.41%

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

$21.5K MX$373.0K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-23.68%

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

$22.3K MX$385.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-32.36%

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

$32.19 MX$558

$122 ฿3,978

-73.55%

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

$10.45 MX$181

$13.57 ฿444

-22.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.42 MX$544

$18.31 ฿599

71.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.22 MX$558

$60.2 ฿1,969

-46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.02 MX$278

$17.14 ฿560

-6.53%

Cinema Ticket

$2.67 MX$46.26

$8.69 ฿284

-69.28%

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

$203 MX$3,509

$693 ฿22.7K

-70.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,537 MX$61.3K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-77.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.64 MX$722

$59.5 ฿1,946

-30.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.28 MX$455

$34.77 ฿1,137

-24.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 MX$1,078

$115 ฿3,746

-45.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 MX$1,113

$83.3 ฿2,723

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MX$8,822

$613 ฿20.0K

-16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 MX$5,584

$437 ฿14.3K

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 MX$15.3K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-57.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 MX$9,096

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-65.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,828 MX$31.7K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-51.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 MX$22.4K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-50.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 MX$10.6K

$508 ฿16.6K

20.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

5.33

78.24%

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

Last update for Puerto Penasco: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Puerto Penasco and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Penasco pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Puerto Penasco vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $293 per month, with Puerto Penasco 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 Penasco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Penasco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Puerto Penasco pays 20% 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: $509 in Puerto Penasco versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Puerto Penasco versus $693 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 Penasco – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Penasco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Penasco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Penasco 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 Penasco 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 Penasco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.