Cost of Living Comparison Between Sayulita and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Sayulita and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,120 per month in Sayulita vs $848 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,762 per month in Sayulita vs $1,331 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,404 per month in Sayulita vs $1,814 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sayulita costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sayulita and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sayulita 16% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$1.96 ฿63.6

448.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.34 MX$660

$18.39 ฿598

108.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 MX$133

$7.87 ฿256

-1.65%

Cappuccino

$3.20 MX$55.1

$1.95 ฿63.4

64.10%

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

$1.28 MX$22.06

$0.85 ฿27.57

50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.79

$0.32 ฿10.52

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MX$38.69

$2.14 ฿69.6

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 MX$66.8

$3.68 ฿120

5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.95

$1.66 ฿53.9

-12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$44.79

$1.56 ฿50.7

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.89

$1.19 ฿38.63

36.13%

Eggs

$2.40 MX$41.38

$1.99 ฿64.7

20.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 MX$135

$16.24 ฿528

-51.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 MX$133

$3.17 ฿103

143.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MX$184

$10.84 ฿352

-1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$44.60

$2.65 ฿86.2

-2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.22 ฿39.67

13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.63

$1.65 ฿53.7

4.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.15

$1.55 ฿50.3

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.23

$1.33 ฿43.17

45.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.36

$1.21 ฿39.43

60.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.88

$0.68 ฿22.04

77.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.65

$0.57 ฿18.38

80.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$72.6

$4.68 ฿152

-9.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 MX$187

$16.99 ฿552

-35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 MX$26.41

$1.82 ฿59.3

-15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$48.93

$3.18 ฿103

-10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.03

$0.91 ฿29.46

-29.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.01

$1.41 ฿45.80

81.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.27

$1.34 ฿43.52

18.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 MX$145

$8.14 ฿265

3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.42

$1.28 ฿41.53

1.56%

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

$21.3K MX$365.7K

$21.8K ฿709.3K

-2.62%

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

$22.2K MX$382.4K

$22.4K ฿728.0K

-0.79%

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

$56.6 MX$973

$70.5 ฿2,291

-19.74%

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

$22.10 MX$380

$14.05 ฿457

57.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 MX$490

$17.65 ฿574

61.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 MX$627

$41.29 ฿1,342

-11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 MX$277

$6.76 ฿220

138.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$81.8

$5.96 ฿194

-20.13%

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

$204 MX$3,509

$303 ฿9,846

-32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,558 MX$61.2K

$15.0K ฿486.2K

-76.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$901

$54.7 ฿1,778

-4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 MX$676

$26.29 ฿854

49.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,547

$85.8 ฿2,788

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MX$1,371

$69.7 ฿2,265

14.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,681

$428 ฿13.9K

17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,754

$239 ฿7,769

64.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 MX$16.0K

$811 ฿26.4K

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 MX$13.1K

$510 ฿16.6K

49.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 MX$30.3K

$2,025 ฿65.8K

-12.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MX$20.0K

$1,502 ฿48.8K

-22.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

129.60%

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

Last update for Sayulita: June 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $505 in Sayulita versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Sayulita versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $242 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Sayulita vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sayulita costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,680 per month in Sayulita and $1,272 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Sayulita and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Sayulita, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Sayulita at $1,120. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sayulita it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $848 versus $1,120 in Sayulita. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sayulita makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.