Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ensenada

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,067 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
Learn more

Ensenada Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ensenada

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 Ensenada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,067 in Ensenada.

Phuket $1,278
Ensenada $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,704 in Ensenada.

Phuket $2,216
Ensenada $1,704

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,340 in Ensenada.

Phuket $3,154
Ensenada $2,340

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Ensenada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ensenada 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.01 MX$224

-62.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$33.29 MX$620

-2.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.07 MX$132

24.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.99 MX$55.7

-5.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.19 MX$22.22

-26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.70 MX$13.09

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.72 MX$50.6

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.08 MX$76.1

-9.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.79 MX$33.44

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$2.64 MX$49.16

-44.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.64 MX$30.50

-8.54%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.53 MX$47.18

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$8.12 MX$151

134.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.72 MX$125

-50.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.16 MX$189

7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.17 MX$40.48

35.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.55 MX$28.95

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.78 MX$33.10

26.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.59 MX$29.66

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.31 MX$24.47

15.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.78 MX$33.24

-22.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.44 MX$26.76

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.05 MX$19.60

-50.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.93 MX$73.3

6.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$13.15 MX$245

42.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.75 MX$32.66

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.64 MX$49.20

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.84 MX$15.73

72.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$42.37 MX$789

33.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.78 MX$51.8

8.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.91 MX$35.61

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$19.18 MX$357

-80.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.39 MX$25.89

5.76%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$24.6K MX$457.9K

8.94%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$23.3K MX$434.3K

14.48%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$46.42 MX$865

107.56%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$31.55 MX$588

-64.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$25.24 MX$470

-33.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$27.30 MX$509

146.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$10.72 MX$200

0.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.49 MX$83.7

67.04%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$190 MX$3,548

149.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$4,838 MX$90.1K

132.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$53.2 MX$990

17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$41.89 MX$780

-32.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$102 MX$1,908

-7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$57.5 MX$1,071

49.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$518 MX$9,650

38.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$322 MX$5,991

52.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$977 MX$18.2K

97.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$641 MX$11.9K

123.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,346 MX$25.1K

210.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$666 MX$12.4K

356.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$650 MX$12.1K

-22.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ensenada

$322 30.1% 34.5% $169

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ensenada

$251 23.5% 5.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ensenada

$103 9.7% 17.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ensenada

$115 10.8% 5.9% $7.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ensenada

$182 17.1% 50% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ensenada

$36 3.4% 55.9% $46

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ensenada

$58 5.4% 17.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $518 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $33 in Ensenada. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $251, with Ensenada cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

330,652

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ensenada 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ensenada

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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,067 in Ensenada, so Ensenada is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $518 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,067 in Ensenada – Ensenada is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 25% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ensenada gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ensenada are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.