Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Todos Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Todos Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,089 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,765 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,441 in Todos Santos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Todos Santos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Todos Santos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.77 MX$186

-58.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$39.77 MX$688

14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.75 MX$134

13.03%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.36 MX$58.1

-11.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.23 MX$21.31

-43.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.98 MX$16.96

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.42 MX$41.94

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.87 MX$67.0

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.43 MX$24.73

50.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.54 MX$43.92

-28.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.61 MX$27.93

35.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.37 MX$41.05

-5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.81 MX$135

156.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.05 MX$139

-54.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.47 MX$181

29.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.67 MX$46.21

21.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.46 MX$25.20

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.70 MX$29.50

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.65 MX$28.47

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.85 MX$32.03

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.93 MX$33.44

-24.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.26 MX$21.75

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.98 MX$17.02

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.23 MX$73.1

2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.65 MX$184

74.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.61 MX$27.78

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.86 MX$49.43

-7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.62 MX$10.69

129.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.65 MX$45.85

19.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.54 MX$26.60

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.51 MX$147

63.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.26 MX$21.76

6.35%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.0K MX$363.4K

32.30%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.2K MX$383.6K

50.56%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$57.4 MX$993

114.37%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.14 MX$383

-37.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$28.47 MX$493

-35.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$36.13 MX$625

67.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.71 MX$272

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.69 MX$81.1

89.13%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$205 MX$3,553

234.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,637 MX$62.9K

333.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$53.1 MX$918

11.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$40.08 MX$693

-13.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$91.2 MX$1,578

26.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$78.8 MX$1,363

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$516 MX$8,931

20.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$404 MX$6,981

10.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$916 MX$15.8K

122.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$756 MX$13.1K

97.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,051 MX$35.5K

68.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,079 MX$18.7K

134.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $516 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $249 per month, with Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Todos Santos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,633 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $516 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $205 in Todos Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Todos Santos – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Todos Santos versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Todos Santos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Todos Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.