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 $1,093 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,760 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,427 in Los Cabos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Los Cabos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.62 MX$186

-56.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$39.18 MX$686

19.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.06 MX$141

9.68%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.29 MX$57.6

-8.81%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.23 MX$21.56

-39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.99 MX$17.27

-62.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.41 MX$42.19

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.89 MX$68.0

-7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.50 MX$26.23

50.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.60 MX$45.50

-29.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.63 MX$28.54

37.42%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.36 MX$41.36

-1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.89 MX$138

149.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.66 MX$134

-52.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.55 MX$185

24.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.61 MX$45.59

29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.38 MX$24.13

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.80 MX$31.47

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.64 MX$28.74

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.92 MX$33.69

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.94 MX$33.91

-22.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.19 MX$20.89

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.01 MX$17.76

-51.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.26 MX$74.6

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.01 MX$193

71.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.59 MX$27.91

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.76 MX$48.21

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.61 MX$10.69

129.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.61 MX$45.59

19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.59 MX$27.91

-37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.21 MX$144

71.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.32 MX$23.07

2.27%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.5K MX$376.3K

26.41%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.2K MX$387.9K

48.51%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$56.0 MX$981

123.02%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.04 MX$386

-38.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.65 MX$484

-33.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.87 MX$628

71.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.92 MX$279

5.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.52 MX$79.1

103.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$205 MX$3,592

240.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,627 MX$63.5K

329.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$52.4 MX$917

10.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$40.06 MX$701

-12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$91.2 MX$1,597

23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$80.0 MX$1,399

8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$504 MX$8,826

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$394 MX$6,897

13.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$949 MX$16.6K

115.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$762 MX$13.3K

95.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,992 MX$34.9K

89.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,288 MX$22.5K

105.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$854 MX$14.9K

-38.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $504 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $249 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

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

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Los Cabos earns 63% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $504 in Los Cabos. 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 $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,093 in Los Cabos – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,232 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, 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 Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.