Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rosarito Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rosarito

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,247 in Rosarito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,978 in Rosarito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,708 in Rosarito.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Rosarito, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rosarito 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$12.57 MX$213

-64.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$37.03 MX$628

-5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$10.38 MX$176

-13.68%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$4.50 MX$76.3

-33.33%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.45 MX$24.65

-46.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.31 MX$22.20

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.51 MX$59.4

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$7.15 MX$121

-47.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.86 MX$31.56

-2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$3.03 MX$51.3

-53.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.84 MX$31.11

-15.76%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.33 MX$56.4

-36.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$8.53 MX$145

131.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.54 MX$128

-53.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$12.82 MX$217

-13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$3.14 MX$53.2

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.73 MX$29.32

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.08 MX$35.24

9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.74 MX$29.41

20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.62 MX$27.38

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.99 MX$33.68

-29.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.65 MX$27.88

-33.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.13 MX$19.15

-52.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$4.76 MX$80.6

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$8.88 MX$150

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.41 MX$40.81

-23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$4.32 MX$73.2

-31.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.68 MX$11.54

232.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.05 MX$51.6

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$2.29 MX$38.73

-52.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$11.79 MX$200

-67.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.39 MX$23.60

7.19%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$22.9K MX$388.8K

19.62%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$26.1K MX$441.6K

5.59%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$51.3 MX$869

98.58%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$35.87 MX$608

-68.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$31.96 MX$542

-44.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$36.70 MX$622

47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$20.51 MX$348

-46.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.03 MX$119

11.66%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$219 MX$3,708

163.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$4,917 MX$83.3K

136.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$57.1 MX$967

14.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$49.75 MX$843

-41.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$111 MX$1,882

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$73.9 MX$1,252

22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$647 MX$11.0K

16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$440 MX$7,456

10.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,002 MX$17.0K

108.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$944 MX$16.0K

27.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,732 MX$29.4K

107.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,376 MX$23.3K

89.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

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: August 18, 2026

Last update for Rosarito: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $647 in Rosarito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Rosarito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $282 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 Rosarito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rosarito is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,871 in Rosarito to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Phuket versus $647 in Rosarito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $219 in Rosarito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rosarito – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,247 in Rosarito versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rosarito but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rosarito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rosarito 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 Rosarito 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 Rosarito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.