Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,611

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,409 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,409

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $3,207 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,207

Phuket is about 25% cheaper than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$10.35 MX$191

-57.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$48.09 MX$889

-32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$9.88 MX$182

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.37 MX$62.2

-16.02%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.44 MX$26.54

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.91 MX$16.86

-48.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.39 MX$44.20

6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.41 MX$81.5

-13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.78 MX$32.84

-2.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.03 MX$55.9

-51.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.38 MX$43.92

-36.55%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.35 MX$43.47

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$11.47 MX$212

71.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$9.65 MX$178

-65.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.41 MX$248

-16.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.59 MX$47.82

10.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.57 MX$28.94

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.62 MX$29.98

35.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.71 MX$31.57

19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.21 MX$22.29

19.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.84 MX$33.99

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.77 MX$51.3

-61.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.21 MX$22.31

-57.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.81 MX$88.9

-11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$10.87 MX$201

70.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.54 MX$28.53

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.48 MX$64.3

-18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.90 MX$16.59

151.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$52.4 MX$968

-57.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.37 MX$80.8

-31.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.97 MX$54.9

-64.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$10.43 MX$193

-62.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.41 MX$26.14

2.84%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$21.3K MX$394.1K

23.47%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$23.9K MX$441.5K

12.77%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$84.4 MX$1,560

14.17%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$24.86 MX$459

-55.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$31.45 MX$581

-45.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$45.08 MX$833

15.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$30.06 MX$556

-62.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$4.13 MX$76.3

89.10%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$226 MX$4,180

145.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$8,280 MX$153.0K

39.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$71.3 MX$1,317

-9.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$52.5 MX$970

-45.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$95.2 MX$1,759

0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$68.0 MX$1,257

29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,190 MX$22.0K

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$733 MX$13.5K

-36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,509 MX$46.4K

-16.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,179 MX$21.8K

1.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$3,827 MX$70.7K

-8.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,210 MX$40.8K

14.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$750 MX$13.9K

-33.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.6

-51.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$733 45.5% 58.5% $270

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$297 18.4% 10.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$141 8.7% 13% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$129 8% 3.9% $4.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$183 11.4% 51% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$53 3.3% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$75 4.7% 90.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $1,190 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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 50% higher in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $48.00 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $297 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

21:14 9:14 PM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

202,694

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 15,410 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

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

Phuket vs Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $2,416 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 137% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $226 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,611. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.