Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Todos Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,418 in Todos Santos, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Todos Santos, Mexico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Todos Santos
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,418
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Todos Santos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,418 in Todos Santos.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Todos Santos $1,418

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,111 in Todos Santos.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Todos Santos $2,111

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,804 in Todos Santos.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Todos Santos $2,804

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Todos Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Todos Santos is 4% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$10.71 MX$201
-58.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$42.31 MX$793
-23.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.69 MX$163
1.38%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.59 MX$67.2
-21.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$1.35 MX$25.22
-35.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.99 MX$18.57
-50.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.48 MX$46.51
3.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.00 MX$75.0
-8.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.58 MX$29.55
5.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$2.62 MX$49.09
-44.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.52 MX$28.53
-1.32%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.47 MX$46.33
-15.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$9.14 MX$171
108.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.37 MX$176
-64.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.16 MX$228
-10.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$2.73 MX$51.2
7.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.48 MX$27.75
14.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.94 MX$36.36
15.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.76 MX$33.06
18.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.97 MX$36.99
-23.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$1.88 MX$35.18
-26.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$1.46 MX$27.29
-26.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$1.07 MX$20.09
-51.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.19 MX$78.5
0.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.10 MX$189
86.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.74 MX$32.61
4.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$3.17 MX$59.4
-10.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$0.74 MX$13.96
95.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
$26.19 MX$491
116.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.48 MX$46.42
21.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$1.99 MX$37.23
-48.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$12.34 MX$231
-70.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.24 MX$23.17
18.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$22.4K MX$420.3K
19.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$25.9K MX$484.9K
3.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$56.3 MX$1,055
71.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$22.51 MX$422
-49.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$28.54 MX$535
-40.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$34.45 MX$646
95.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$20.43 MX$383
-47.48%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.75 MX$89.1
57.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$193 MX$3,609
147.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$4,019 MX$75.3K
180.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$47.93 MX$898
30.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$45.84 MX$859
-38.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$90.5 MX$1,696
4.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$101 MX$1,892
-15.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$988 MX$18.5K
-27.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$640 MX$12.0K
-23.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,866 MX$35.0K
3.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$987 MX$18.5K
44.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$2,144 MX$40.2K
94.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,181 MX$22.1K
157.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Todos Santos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.31
-50.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Todos Santos
$640 30.4% $149
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Todos Santos
$271 1.9% $5.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Todos Santos
$107 13.8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Todos Santos
$128 5.3% $6.5
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Todos Santos
$185 51.6% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Todos Santos
$44 46.5% $38
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Todos Santos
$42 41.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $988 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $42 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $271 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇽 Todos Santos
🕒 Local time
04:29 4:29 AM
14:29 2:29 PM
14 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
5,148
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Todos Santos 15,340 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Todos Santos

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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Todos Santos?
Phuket is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,126 in Todos Santos 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Todos Santos?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $988 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $193 in Todos Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Todos Santos?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $42 in Todos Santos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city suits remote workers better?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value at $1,278 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Todos Santos?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Todos Santos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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