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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,419 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,325 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,232 in Los Cabos.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 13% less than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Los Cabos is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$24.08 MX$415

-81.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$46.22 MX$796

-30.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$13.68 MX$236

-34.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$5.30 MX$91.3

-45.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$2.43 MX$41.88

-63.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$2.11 MX$36.37

-77.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$5.04 MX$86.7

-53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$8.87 MX$153

-58.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.70 MX$29.34

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$3.14 MX$54.0

-53.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.42 MX$41.71

-35.95%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.45 MX$42.26

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$9.68 MX$167

102.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.35 MX$178

-66.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$18.88 MX$325

-39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$4.44 MX$76.4

-32.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.80 MX$31.04

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.00 MX$51.6

-26.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.67 MX$45.99

-19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.50 MX$42.98

-39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$2.70 MX$46.53

-50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.40 MX$24.09

-19.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.91 MX$15.61

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.77 MX$82.1

-10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$11.54 MX$199

65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.66 MX$28.54

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$3.27 MX$56.3

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.72 MX$12.33

209.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.83 MX$48.72

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$2.16 MX$37.12

-52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$11.23 MX$193

-65.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.52 MX$26.20

-1.97%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$22.6K MX$390.0K

17.37%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$25.7K MX$443.0K

5.06%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$62.7 MX$1,080

63.40%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$29.37 MX$506

-61.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$26.32 MX$453

-33.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$37.04 MX$638

40.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$21.47 MX$370

-48.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.71 MX$81.1

63.27%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$242 MX$4,165

131.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$4,816 MX$82.9K

138.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$98.6 MX$1,698

-36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$44.45 MX$765

-33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$132 MX$2,271

-25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$93.5 MX$1,609

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$656 MX$11.3K

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$421 MX$7,250

14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,117 MX$19.2K

88.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$820 MX$14.1K

49.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,923 MX$33.1K

88.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,223 MX$21.1K

112.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$878 MX$15.1K

-43.76%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $656 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 78% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $331 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Los Cabos. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $656 in Los Cabos. 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 $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,419 in Los Cabos – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,419 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, Phuket and Los Cabos 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 15% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.