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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Rosarito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,738 in Rosarito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Rosarito.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Rosarito, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rosarito 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.83 MX$204

-61.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$31.40 MX$540

48.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.03 MX$138

5.73%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.84 MX$66.1

-19.79%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.14 MX$19.67

-40.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.98 MX$16.78

-63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.95 MX$50.8

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$5.12 MX$88.1

-29.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.56 MX$26.92

40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.47 MX$42.42

-26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.81 MX$31.11

23.20%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.17 MX$54.5

-29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.35 MX$127

166.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$5.70 MX$98.1

-34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.24 MX$176

31.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.60 MX$44.66

29.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.50 MX$25.77

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.83 MX$31.43

31.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.66 MX$28.51

19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.67 MX$28.75

-8.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.82 MX$31.28

-20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.06 MX$18.32

-4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.01 MX$17.40

-52.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.16 MX$71.6

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.88 MX$153

115.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.86 MX$31.98

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.32 MX$57.1

-17.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.65 MX$11.17

118.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.84 MX$48.92

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.58 MX$27.23

-33.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$3.12 MX$53.7

345.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.25 MX$21.44

3.20%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$23.4K MX$401.9K

20.02%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.2K MX$348.3K

65.52%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$56.4 MX$970

116.47%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$27.77 MX$478

-49.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$31.42 MX$541

-39.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$35.53 MX$611

72.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.78 MX$272

6.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.57 MX$78.7

94.53%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$204 MX$3,509

239.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$2,762 MX$47.5K

484.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$43.64 MX$751

32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$34.76 MX$598

1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$89.0 MX$1,531

27.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$69.5 MX$1,196

19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$516 MX$8,876

17.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$391 MX$6,730

14.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$920 MX$15.8K

120.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$751 MX$12.9K

98.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,736 MX$29.9K

106.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,104 MX$19.0K

134.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.8

-54.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Rosarito: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $516 in Rosarito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Rosarito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $238 per month, with Rosarito 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,675 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: $607 in Phuket versus $516 in Rosarito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $204 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 $31.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,117 in Rosarito versus $1,223 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.