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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,089 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,754 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,419 in Sayulita.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than Sayulita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sayulita 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.49 MX$184

-55.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$38.42 MX$672

21.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.15 MX$143

8.47%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.32 MX$58.2

-9.64%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.30 MX$22.69

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.90 MX$15.70

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.15 MX$37.67

13.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.97 MX$69.5

-9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.48 MX$25.96

52.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.58 MX$45.16

-28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.62 MX$28.32

38.27%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.31 MX$40.43

0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.19 MX$143

140.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.85 MX$137

-53.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.75 MX$188

21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.63 MX$45.96

28.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.43 MX$25.08

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.77 MX$31.01

36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.69 MX$29.64

20.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.90 MX$33.30

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.95 MX$34.14

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.22 MX$21.34

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.99 MX$17.31

-50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.24 MX$74.2

4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.04 MX$193

71.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.61 MX$28.18

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.87 MX$50.3

-4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.61 MX$10.71

129.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.62 MX$45.81

19.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.54 MX$26.98

-35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.06 MX$141

74.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.27 MX$22.21

6.30%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.9K MX$366.3K

29.89%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.8K MX$398.4K

44.61%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$56.3 MX$986

121.91%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.45 MX$393

-39.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.82 MX$487

-33.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.83 MX$645

66.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.14 MX$282

4.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.52 MX$79.1

103.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$206 MX$3,599

239.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,584 MX$62.7K

335.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$52.8 MX$923

9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.65 MX$694

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$91.5 MX$1,600

23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$79.7 MX$1,395

8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$501 MX$8,760

23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$394 MX$6,889

13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$937 MX$16.4K

118.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$761 MX$13.3K

95.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,753 MX$30.7K

115.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,161 MX$20.3K

128.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $501 in Sayulita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Sayulita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $252 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,634 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: $616 in Phuket versus $501 in Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $206 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 $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Sayulita versus $1,232 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.