Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sayulita Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sayulita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,090 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,769 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,448 in Sayulita.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.39 MX$180

-56.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$38.75 MX$670

17.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.83 MX$135

11.88%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.28 MX$56.7

-9.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.27 MX$22.03

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.91 MX$15.70

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.24 MX$38.84

12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.97 MX$68.7

-5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.42 MX$24.55

51.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.54 MX$44.00

-28.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.58 MX$27.26

37.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.42 MX$41.86

-7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.02 MX$139

149.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.84 MX$136

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.74 MX$186

26.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.69 MX$46.62

20.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.44 MX$24.94

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.71 MX$29.58

36.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.69 MX$29.19

22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.87 MX$32.27

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.91 MX$33.11

-23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.24 MX$21.54

-20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.98 MX$16.89

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.29 MX$74.2

1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.86 MX$188

70.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.61 MX$27.88

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.78 MX$48.14

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.65 MX$11.17

118.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.62 MX$45.39

20.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.55 MX$26.90

-33.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.08 MX$140

71.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.32 MX$22.78

1.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.1K MX$364.5K

31.90%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.3K MX$386.5K

49.42%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$55.8 MX$965

120.64%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$21.92 MX$379

-37.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$28.05 MX$485

-34.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$36.29 MX$628

67.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.71 MX$272

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.64 MX$80.3

91.16%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$209 MX$3,609

229.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,532 MX$61.1K

346.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$51.9 MX$898

14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$39.28 MX$680

-11.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$90.7 MX$1,569

27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$78.1 MX$1,351

7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$509 MX$8,810

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$404 MX$6,998

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$952 MX$16.5K

113.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$755 MX$13.1K

98.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,754 MX$30.3K

96.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,159 MX$20.1K

118.40%

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 Sayulita: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $509 in Sayulita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Sayulita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $250 per month, with Sayulita 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 Sayulita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sayulita 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 $1,635 in Sayulita 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 $509 in Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $209 in Sayulita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sayulita – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,090 in Sayulita versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sayulita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sayulita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sayulita 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 Sayulita 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 Sayulita 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.