Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Los Cabos versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in Los Cabos versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,268 in Los Cabos versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Los Cabos is roughly 17% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.29 MX$412

$4.66 ฿154

421.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.37 MX$787

$32.22 ฿1,065

43.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 MX$234

$8.68 ฿287

59.10%

Cappuccino

$5.46 MX$92.7

$2.90 ฿95.8

88.28%

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

$2.43 MX$41.29

$0.84 ฿27.89

189.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.56

$0.49 ฿16.16

316.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 MX$84.5

$2.48 ฿82.0

100.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 MX$152

$3.73 ฿123

140.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.85

$1.89 ฿62.3

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$54.0

$1.41 ฿46.54

125.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 MX$42.77

$1.62 ฿53.6

55.56%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$43.66

$2.24 ฿74.1

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$170

$19.84 ฿656

-49.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 MX$173

$3.48 ฿115

193.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 MX$325

$11.37 ฿376

68.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 MX$75.6

$2.90 ฿95.8

53.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.87

$1.72 ฿57.0

9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$2.27 ฿75.1

37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MX$45.96

$2.13 ฿70.4

27.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 MX$41.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

64.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.35

$1.42 ฿46.92

100.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.59

$1.10 ฿36.25

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$14.92

$0.60 ฿19.76

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 MX$84.6

$4.31 ฿142

15.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 MX$191

$18.60 ฿615

-39.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.05

$1.80 ฿59.5

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$56.8

$2.97 ฿98.0

12.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 MX$24.57

$2.25 ฿74.2

-35.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.10 ฿102

-9.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 MX$36.79

$1.08 ฿35.56

100.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.65 MX$198

$3.87 ฿128

201.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.07

$1.43 ฿47.16

7.69%

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

$22.4K MX$380.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-19.29%

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

$25.6K MX$433.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.22%

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

$63.7 MX$1,080

$105 ฿3,462

-39.23%

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

$29.60 MX$502

$11.39 ฿376

159.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.66 MX$452

$17.54 ฿580

52.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.35 MX$634

$54.3 ฿1,795

-31.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 MX$362

$11.44 ฿378

86.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$80.8

$7.78 ฿257

-38.82%

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

$247 MX$4,191

$576 ฿19.0K

-57.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,856 MX$82.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-58.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 MX$1,666

$63.6 ฿2,103

54.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 MX$781

$29.10 ฿961

58.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MX$2,231

$96.2 ฿3,179

36.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 MX$1,548

$90.0 ฿2,974

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MX$11.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

-11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,134

$501 ฿16.5K

-16.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 MX$19.3K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 MX$14.1K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-33.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$33.5K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-44.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 MX$20.6K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-53.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$892 MX$15.1K

$508 ฿16.8K

75.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Los Cabos and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 76% 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: $46.00 in Los Cabos vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 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

Los Cabos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Los Cabos, 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: $650 in Los Cabos versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Los Cabos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Los Cabos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Los Cabos. 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 Los Cabos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Los Cabos 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 17% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.