Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mexicali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $927 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mexicali

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $927 in Mexicali, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Mexicali $927

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,485 in Mexicali, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Mexicali $1,485

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,042 in Mexicali, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Mexicali $2,042

Phuket costs about 38% more than Mexicali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Mexicali are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Mexicali 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.33 MX$232

-63.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$33.01 MX$620

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.49 MX$122

35.75%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.33 MX$62.5

-15.02%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.37 MX$25.82

-36.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.07 MX$20.03

-54.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.21 MX$60.4

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.03 MX$75.7

-8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.20 MX$22.48

38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.32 MX$43.54

-37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.44 MX$27.00

4.17%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.67 MX$50.2

-21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$2.40 MX$45.05

694.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.04 MX$114

-45.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.60 MX$124

65.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.61 MX$30.20

81.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.31 MX$24.66

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.37 MX$25.70

64.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.57 MX$29.45

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.37 MX$25.78

10.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.38 MX$25.95

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.34 MX$25.16

-20.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.77 MX$14.51

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.01 MX$75.4

4.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.99 MX$150

135.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.96 MX$36.88

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.99 MX$75.0

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.02 MX$19.21

42.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$34.66 MX$651

63.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.80 MX$52.6

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.19 MX$41.23

-53.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$19.17 MX$360

-80.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.37 MX$25.79

7.30%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$24.5K MX$461.3K

9.10%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$23.1K MX$434.2K

15.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$47.16 MX$886

104.30%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$21.80 MX$410

-48.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$28.74 MX$540

-41.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$39.07 MX$734

72.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$16.32 MX$307

-34.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.99 MX$74.9

87.97%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$198 MX$3,726

140.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$4,438 MX$83.4K

153.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$33.30 MX$626

87.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$32.11 MX$603

-11.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$75.5 MX$1,419

24.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$37.44 MX$704

129.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$967 MX$18.2K

-25.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$265 MX$4,975

85.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,370 MX$25.8K

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$534 MX$10.0K

168.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,628 MX$49.4K

58.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,427 MX$26.8K

113.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$837 MX$15.7K

-39.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.07

-53.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mexicali

$265 28.5% 46.1% $226

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mexicali

$193 20.8% 27.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mexicali

$98 10.5% 21.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mexicali

$80 8.7% 34.1% $42

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mexicali

$192 20.7% 57.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mexicali

$47 5.1% 42.8% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mexicali

$53 5.7% 25.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $967 in Mexicali. 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 67% higher in Mexicali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $33 in Mexicali. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $193 in Mexicali – so Mexicali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

02:19 2:19 AM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

854,186

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mexicali 14,260 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mexicali

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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $927 in Mexicali – Mexicali comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,391 in Mexicali. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $967 in Mexicali.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $33 in Mexicali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $927 in Mexicali to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.