Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $927 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$927

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexicali and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexicali and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $927 per month in Mexicali vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Mexicali $927
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,485 per month in Mexicali vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Mexicali $1,485
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,042 per month in Mexicali vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Mexicali $2,042
Phuket $3,154

Mexicali is about 27% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexicali and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mexicali 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 MX$232

$4.47 ฿151

175.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.01 MX$620

$32.41 ฿1,094

1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MX$122

$8.81 ฿297

-26.33%

Cappuccino

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.83 ฿95.4

17.67%

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

$1.37 MX$25.82

$0.87 ฿29.42

57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$20.03

$0.49 ฿16.66

118.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$60.4

$2.56 ฿86.3

25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MX$75.7

$3.68 ฿124

9.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MX$22.48

$1.66 ฿56.0

-27.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 MX$43.54

$1.46 ฿49.32

58.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$27.00

$1.50 ฿50.5

-4.00%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.09 ฿70.5

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.40 MX$45.05

$19.07 ฿643

-87.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 MX$114

$3.30 ฿111

83.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 MX$124

$10.91 ฿368

-39.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 MX$30.20

$2.93 ฿98.9

-45.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MX$24.66

$1.69 ฿57.0

-22.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.70

$2.25 ฿75.8

-39.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.45

$2.08 ฿70.1

-24.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.78

$1.51 ฿51.0

-9.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.95

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$25.16

$1.07 ฿35.97

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$14.51

$0.52 ฿17.51

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$75.4

$4.20 ฿142

-4.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 MX$150

$18.79 ฿634

-57.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.88

$1.82 ฿61.5

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$75.0

$2.84 ฿95.9

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 MX$19.21

$1.45 ฿49.00

-29.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 MX$651

$56.7 ฿1,912

-38.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 MX$52.6

$3.02 ฿102

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 MX$41.23

$1.02 ฿34.34

114.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.17 MX$360

$3.69 ฿125

419.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$25.79

$1.47 ฿49.78

-6.80%

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

$24.5K MX$461.3K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-8.34%

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

$23.1K MX$434.2K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-13.45%

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

$47.16 MX$886

$96.4 ฿3,252

-51.05%

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

$21.80 MX$410

$11.26 ฿380

93.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.74 MX$540

$16.85 ฿569

70.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 MX$734

$67.2 ฿2,269

-41.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.32 MX$307

$10.73 ฿362

52.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 MX$74.9

$7.50 ฿253

-46.80%

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

$198 MX$3,726

$476 ฿16.1K

-58.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,438 MX$83.4K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-60.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.30 MX$626

$62.4 ฿2,105

-46.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 MX$603

$28.41 ฿959

13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,419

$94.3 ฿3,182

-19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.44 MX$704

$85.8 ฿2,896

-56.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 MX$18.2K

$716 ฿24.2K

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MX$4,975

$491 ฿16.6K

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 MX$25.8K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-28.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MX$10.0K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-62.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 MX$49.4K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-37.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 MX$26.8K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-53.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$837 MX$15.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

66.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

5.57

116.70%

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

Last update for Mexicali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexicali

$265 28.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 85.4% $226

Groceries & Markets

Mexicali

$193 20.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 37.8% $73

Eating Out

Mexicali

$192 20.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 36.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexicali

$98 10.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 27.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Mexicali

$80 8.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 51.9% $42

Getting Around

Mexicali

$53 5.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 34.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Mexicali

$47 5.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 74.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $967 in Mexicali versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 67% higher in Mexicali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Mexicali versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Mexicali vs $266 in Phuket – so Mexicali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:00 12:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

15 h ahead of Mexicali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

854,186

79,308

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexicali Phuket 14,260 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexicali
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mexicali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $927 in Mexicali, $1,278 in Phuket – Mexicali comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,391 per month in Mexicali and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $967 in Mexicali.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Mexicali and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $927 in Mexicali to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.