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 $1,086 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,425 in Sayulita.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sayulita 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.53 MX$181

-58.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,075

$38.24 MX$659

-15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.81 MX$135

14.34%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.5

$3.22 MX$55.4

-9.94%

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

$0.88 ฿29.33

$1.24 MX$21.41

-29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.03

$0.90 MX$15.59

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.23 MX$38.33

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.89 MX$67.0

-4.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.2

$1.48 MX$25.43

26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.86

$2.63 MX$45.22

-44.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.55 MX$26.68

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.31 MX$39.74

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿653

$8.24 MX$142

137.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.10 MX$139

-57.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$10.42 MX$179

9.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.4

$2.62 MX$45.18

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.44 MX$24.73

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.71 MX$29.46

29.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.65 MX$28.44

30.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.83 MX$31.47

-16.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.59

$2.00 MX$34.40

-33.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.60

$1.26 MX$21.66

-10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.98 MX$16.87

-43.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.11 MX$70.8

3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿636

$10.88 MX$187

75.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$1.57 MX$26.96

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.7

$2.76 MX$47.51

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.3

$0.64 MX$11.09

248.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿758

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.63 MX$45.34

15.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.09

$1.55 MX$26.70

-34.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.06 MX$139

-51.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$1.30 MX$22.43

14.62%

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

$26.6K ฿885.7K

$21.4K MX$369.3K

23.98%

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

$27.0K ฿900.6K

$22.1K MX$380.5K

22.36%

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

$102 ฿3,414

$57.1 MX$983

79.61%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$21.81 MX$376

-48.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿580

$27.64 MX$476

-37.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,735

$36.27 MX$625

43.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$15.84 MX$273

-30.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.56 MX$78.6

68.64%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$208 MX$3,584

169.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.4K

$3,612 MX$62.2K

218.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,100

$53.1 MX$915

18.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿984

$40.14 MX$691

-26.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,266

$88.9 MX$1,531

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,949

$78.0 MX$1,344

13.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$514 MX$8,856

43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$389 MX$6,700

24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.2K

$922 MX$15.9K

128.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$764 MX$13.2K

60.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.5K

$1,741 MX$30.0K

107.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,167 MX$20.1K

123.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.48

-51.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $514 in Sayulita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Sayulita. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $251, with Sayulita cheaper for home cooking.

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 $1,630 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: $738 in Phuket versus $514 in Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $208 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,086 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.