Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Queretaro versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,993 in Queretaro versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,692 in Queretaro versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Queretaro is roughly 3% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Queretaro 3% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.43 MX$165

$4.55 ฿153

107.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 MX$795

$46.18 ฿1,550

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$135

$8.84 ฿297

-12.56%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$61.7

$3.06 ฿103

15.36%

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

$1.31 MX$22.95

$0.73 ฿24.36

79.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.78

$0.40 ฿13.37

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$41.91

$2.43 ฿81.6

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.8

$3.78 ฿127

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$28.09

$2.26 ฿75.8

-28.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.55

$1.81 ฿60.8

44.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.76

$2.25 ฿75.7

-14.22%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.64

$2.25 ฿75.4

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$148

$19.51 ฿655

-56.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 MX$165

$3.65 ฿122

158.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 MX$229

$13.05 ฿438

0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MX$62.6

$3.23 ฿109

10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.48

$1.62 ฿54.3

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.28

$2.38 ฿80.0

-20.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.88

$2.03 ฿68.0

-15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.23

$1.53 ฿51.5

13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.11

$1.50 ฿50.4

22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$0.98 ฿32.85

32.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.94

$0.52 ฿17.36

119.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.4

$4.44 ฿149

-5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.06 MX$298

$18.32 ฿615

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.93

$1.86 ฿62.6

4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$2.68 ฿90.0

21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.67

$1.41 ฿47.37

-60.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.65 MX$414

$11.70 ฿393

102.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.9

$3.11 ฿104

4.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.60

$1.04 ฿35.00

19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 MX$163

$14.11 ฿474

-34.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$1.31 ฿44.02

-3.82%

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

$19.7K MX$344.8K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-29.10%

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

$20.5K MX$358.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.23%

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

$62.5 MX$1,093

$122 ฿4,110

-48.96%

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

$23.75 MX$415

$13.59 ฿456

74.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.25 MX$494

$18.70 ฿628

51.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 MX$875

$60.5 ฿2,031

-17.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 MX$460

$16.98 ฿570

55.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 MX$107

$9.07 ฿305

-32.52%

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

$314 MX$5,483

$706 ฿23.7K

-55.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,841 MX$84.7K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-69.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 MX$889

$58.6 ฿1,965

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 MX$733

$35.36 ฿1,187

18.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 MX$1,720

$115 ฿3,876

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 MX$1,720

$83.7 ฿2,811

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$11.4K

$626 ฿21.0K

4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MX$8,578

$445 ฿14.9K

10.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 MX$21.0K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 MX$14.2K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-45.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 MX$40.7K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-33.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,318 MX$23.0K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-48.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 MX$16.0K

$500 ฿16.8K

82.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

5.33

116.70%

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

Last update for Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Queretaro and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 83% 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: $45.00 in Queretaro vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $289, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Queretaro vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Queretaro, 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: $654 in Queretaro versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Queretaro versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Queretaro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Queretaro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Queretaro. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Queretaro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Queretaro 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.