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 $1,086 per month in Sayulita vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Sayulita vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,410 per month in Sayulita vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sayulita costs about 25% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sayulita and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sayulita 19% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.64 MX$183

$1.98 ฿64.3

437.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.26 MX$657

$18.80 ฿612

103.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 MX$137

$7.75 ฿252

2.71%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.0

$1.92 ฿62.5

76.04%

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

$1.22 MX$20.98

$0.79 ฿25.79

54.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$16.93

$0.36 ฿11.62

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MX$38.22

$2.21 ฿72.1

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$65.2

$3.66 ฿119

3.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.73

$1.65 ฿53.8

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 MX$43.14

$1.63 ฿53.2

53.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.11

$1.19 ฿38.86

37.82%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$40.90

$2.00 ฿65.1

19.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MX$135

$15.98 ฿520

-50.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 MX$132

$3.03 ฿98.5

154.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 MX$185

$10.86 ฿354

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$44.44

$2.76 ฿90.0

-6.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.00

$1.18 ฿38.42

23.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.36

$1.64 ฿53.5

4.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.38

$1.52 ฿49.51

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.90

$1.38 ฿45.10

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.73

$1.19 ฿38.84

69.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$21.73

$0.70 ฿22.86

81.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.56

$0.56 ฿18.13

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$69.7

$4.58 ฿149

-11.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 MX$186

$16.56 ฿539

-34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$26.68

$1.83 ฿59.5

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$48.66

$3.20 ฿104

-11.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.01

$0.88 ฿28.56

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$43.89

$1.36 ฿44.16

88.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.61

$1.34 ฿43.65

20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.84 ฿256

7.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.71

$1.23 ฿39.92

7.32%

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

$20.8K MX$357.0K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-3.82%

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

$22.8K MX$391.3K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

1.11%

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

$56.0 MX$961

$70.5 ฿2,298

-20.58%

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

$22.14 MX$380

$13.68 ฿445

61.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.85 MX$478

$17.45 ฿568

59.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.86 MX$616

$41.33 ฿1,346

-13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.55 MX$267

$6.96 ฿227

123.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MX$80.7

$5.77 ฿188

-18.54%

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

$209 MX$3,584

$307 ฿10.0K

-31.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,577 MX$61.4K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-75.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 MX$901

$55.8 ฿1,817

-5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 MX$685

$26.21 ฿854

52.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,543

$85.8 ฿2,793

4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,353

$72.2 ฿2,353

9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MX$8,881

$430 ฿14.0K

20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,715

$239 ฿7,774

63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MX$16.1K

$817 ฿26.6K

15.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.1K

$511 ฿16.6K

49.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,719 MX$29.5K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

-13.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,164 MX$20.0K

$1,484 ฿48.3K

-21.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿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 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $517 in Sayulita versus $430 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $241 – 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 25% 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 $1,629 per month in Sayulita and $1,303 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $869, than in Sayulita at $1,086. 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 $869 versus $1,086 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.