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: $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Los Cabos versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Los Cabos versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Los Cabos 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$182

$4.56 ฿149

132.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 MX$668

$46.63 ฿1,519

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 MX$137

$8.47 ฿276

-5.79%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.1

$3.03 ฿98.6

11.55%

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

$1.25 MX$21.40

$0.69 ฿22.45

81.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.37

$0.37 ฿11.92

143.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$41.91

$2.49 ฿81.0

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$66.8

$3.66 ฿119

6.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.52

$2.18 ฿71.0

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$43.63

$1.90 ฿62.0

33.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.86

$2.20 ฿71.6

-26.36%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$39.56

$2.22 ฿72.4

3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$140

$19.99 ฿651

-59.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 MX$133

$3.66 ฿119

111.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$184

$13.25 ฿432

-19.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.55

$3.23 ฿105

-17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.55

$1.70 ฿55.3

-15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.39 ฿78.0

-28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.21

$2.08 ฿67.7

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.10

$1.59 ฿51.8

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.17

$1.48 ฿48.31

30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.03 ฿33.54

17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.82

$0.52 ฿16.83

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$73.5

$4.25 ฿138

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$187

$18.79 ฿612

-41.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.76 ฿57.2

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$47.75

$2.76 ฿89.8

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.51

$1.36 ฿44.32

-55.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$43.68

$3.14 ฿102

-19.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.59

$1.04 ฿33.74

54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 MX$140

$13.77 ฿448

-40.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.34 ฿43.79

-5.22%

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

$21.5K MX$368.8K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-22.37%

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

$22.4K MX$384.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-33.83%

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

$56.3 MX$966

$124 ฿4,025

-54.48%

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

$22.01 MX$378

$13.52 ฿440

62.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$487

$18.69 ฿609

51.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 MX$624

$61.8 ฿2,013

-41.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 MX$273

$17.25 ฿562

-7.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$77.8

$9.14 ฿298

-50.44%

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

$206 MX$3,543

$703 ฿22.9K

-70.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-77.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MX$917

$59.5 ฿1,937

-10.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 MX$675

$35.07 ฿1,142

12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,540

$115 ฿3,754

-22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,339

$84.1 ฿2,737

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,790

$619 ฿20.1K

-17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,794

$433 ฿14.1K

-8.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MX$13.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-49.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 MX$33.9K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-45.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$21.8K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-51.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$874 MX$15.0K

$507 ฿16.5K

72.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.33

115.38%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Los Cabos and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Los Cabos vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $293 per month, with Los Cabos 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

Los Cabos 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.

Los Cabos pays 72% 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: $512 in Los Cabos versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,106 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos 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, 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 Los Cabos 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.