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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Sayulita versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,762 in Sayulita versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Sayulita versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Sayulita costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sayulita 16% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$4.51 ฿147

138.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.34 MX$660

$46.62 ฿1,515

-17.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 MX$133

$8.49 ฿276

-8.83%

Cappuccino

$3.20 MX$55.1

$3.08 ฿100

3.90%

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

$1.28 MX$22.06

$0.68 ฿22.07

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.79

$0.36 ฿11.75

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MX$38.69

$2.43 ฿78.8

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 MX$66.8

$3.63 ฿118

6.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.95

$2.19 ฿71.1

-33.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$44.79

$1.81 ฿59.0

43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.89

$2.23 ฿72.5

-27.35%

Eggs

$2.40 MX$41.38

$2.24 ฿72.7

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 MX$135

$19.60 ฿637

-60.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 MX$133

$3.72 ฿121

107.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MX$184

$13.47 ฿438

-20.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$44.60

$3.36 ฿109

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.62 ฿52.5

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.63

$2.41 ฿78.3

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.15

$1.99 ฿64.6

-17.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.23

$1.53 ฿49.76

26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.36

$1.45 ฿47.19

33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.88

$1.01 ฿32.96

19.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.65

$0.48 ฿15.73

114.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$72.6

$4.27 ฿139

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 MX$187

$19.12 ฿621

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 MX$26.41

$1.84 ฿59.7

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$48.93

$2.74 ฿89.1

3.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.03

$1.42 ฿46.06

-54.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.01

$3.00 ฿97.6

-14.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.27

$1.05 ฿34.00

51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 MX$145

$13.90 ฿452

-39.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.42

$1.29 ฿41.94

0.78%

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

$21.3K MX$365.7K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

-24.18%

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

$22.2K MX$382.4K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-33.66%

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

$56.6 MX$973

$122 ฿3,964

-53.62%

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

$22.10 MX$380

$13.93 ฿453

58.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 MX$490

$18.87 ฿613

50.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 MX$627

$61.3 ฿1,992

-40.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 MX$277

$16.84 ฿547

-4.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$81.8

$8.89 ฿289

-46.46%

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

$204 MX$3,509

$691 ฿22.5K

-70.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,558 MX$61.2K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-77.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$901

$57.8 ฿1,878

-9.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 MX$676

$35.39 ฿1,150

10.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,547

$113 ฿3,685

-20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MX$1,371

$83.0 ฿2,698

-3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,681

$607 ฿19.7K

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,754

$448 ฿14.6K

-12.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 MX$16.0K

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-54.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 MX$13.1K

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-49.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 MX$30.3K

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-50.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MX$20.0K

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-54.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.33

115.38%

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

Last update for Sayulita: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Sayulita and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Sayulita vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $292 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

Sayulita vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sayulita is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,680 in Sayulita and $1,835 in Phuket 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: $505 in Sayulita versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Sayulita versus $691 in Phuket. 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 $1,120 in Sayulita versus $1,223 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, Sayulita and Phuket 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.