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: $1,534 in Queretaro versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Queretaro versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Queretaro versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Queretaro is roughly 21% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Queretaro is 11% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 MX$204

$4.66 ฿154

157.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 MX$1,109

$32.22 ฿1,065

102.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 MX$161

$8.68 ฿287

9.45%

Cappuccino

$3.97 MX$67.4

$2.90 ฿95.8

36.90%

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

$1.84 MX$31.21

$0.84 ฿27.89

119.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$18.82

$0.49 ฿16.16

126.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 MX$66.8

$2.48 ฿82.0

58.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 MX$98.8

$3.73 ฿123

56.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MX$32.40

$1.89 ฿62.3

1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 MX$48.23

$1.41 ฿46.54

101.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.92

$1.62 ฿53.6

30.86%

Eggs

$2.97 MX$50.4

$2.24 ฿74.1

32.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 MX$164

$19.84 ฿656

-51.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 MX$162

$3.48 ฿115

174.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 MX$247

$11.37 ฿376

27.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 MX$63.4

$2.90 ฿95.8

28.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$28.90

$1.72 ฿57.0

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.26

$2.27 ฿75.1

1.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.02

$2.13 ฿70.4

-3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.32

$1.47 ฿48.72

41.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$32.81

$1.42 ฿46.92

35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.87

$1.10 ฿36.25

43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.60 ฿19.76

123.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 MX$84.7

$4.31 ฿142

15.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 MX$321

$18.60 ฿615

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 MX$40.61

$1.80 ฿59.5

32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MX$78.6

$2.97 ฿98.0

56.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.54

$2.25 ฿74.2

-72.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.65 MX$469

$23.49 ฿776

17.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 MX$60.9

$3.10 ฿102

15.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 MX$48.90

$1.08 ฿35.56

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$198

$3.87 ฿128

201.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$1.43 ฿47.16

13.29%

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

$22.5K MX$382.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-18.92%

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

$26.0K MX$441.7K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-3.51%

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

$64.6 MX$1,096

$105 ฿3,462

-38.37%

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

$29.40 MX$499

$11.39 ฿376

158.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.07 MX$459

$17.54 ฿580

54.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$54.3 ฿1,795

13.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 MX$452

$11.44 ฿378

133.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 MX$139

$7.78 ฿257

5.01%

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

$282 MX$4,785

$576 ฿19.0K

-51.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,531 MX$93.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-52.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MX$949

$63.6 ฿2,103

-12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.80 MX$828

$29.10 ฿961

67.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,853

$96.2 ฿3,179

13.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,831

$90.0 ฿2,974

19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.4K

$733 ฿24.2K

24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 MX$10.4K

$501 ฿16.5K

22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$27.4K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.2K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-28.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,384 MX$40.4K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-32.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 MX$22.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-48.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$952 MX$16.2K

$508 ฿16.8K

87.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

5.57

115.26%

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

Last update for Queretaro: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Queretaro and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queretaro pays 88% 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: $65.0 in Queretaro vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $275 per month, with Phuket 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

Queretaro vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $911 in Queretaro versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Queretaro versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Queretaro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,534 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 21% less than in Queretaro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.