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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,106 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,747 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,389 in Los Cabos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Los Cabos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.62 MX$182

-57.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$38.93 MX$668

19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.98 MX$137

6.14%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.38 MX$58.1

-10.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.25 MX$21.40

-44.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.90 MX$15.37

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.44 MX$41.91

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.89 MX$66.8

-5.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.49 MX$25.52

46.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.54 MX$43.63

-25.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.62 MX$27.86

35.80%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.30 MX$39.56

-3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.16 MX$140

144.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.74 MX$133

-52.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.73 MX$184

23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.65 MX$45.55

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.43 MX$24.55

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.71 MX$29.32

39.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.64 MX$28.21

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.93 MX$33.10

-17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.93 MX$33.17

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.21 MX$20.76

-14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.98 MX$16.82

-46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.28 MX$73.5

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.90 MX$187

72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.59 MX$27.37

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.78 MX$47.75

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.61 MX$10.51

122.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.54 MX$43.68

23.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.61 MX$27.59

-35.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.14 MX$140

69.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.27 MX$21.87

5.51%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.5K MX$368.8K

28.82%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.4K MX$384.6K

51.14%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$56.3 MX$966

119.68%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$22.01 MX$378

-38.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$28.40 MX$487

-34.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.36 MX$624

70.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$15.88 MX$273

8.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.53 MX$77.8

101.77%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$206 MX$3,543

240.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,530 MX$60.6K

349.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$53.4 MX$917

11.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$39.34 MX$675

-10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.7 MX$1,540

28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.0 MX$1,339

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$512 MX$8,790

20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$396 MX$6,794

9.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$950 MX$16.3K

117.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$769 MX$13.2K

96.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,973 MX$33.9K

84.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,269 MX$21.8K

106.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$874 MX$15.0K

-42.00%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $512 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 72% 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 $293 vs $250 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Los Cabos earns 72% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $512 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 $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,106 in Los Cabos – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,261 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.