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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $909 per month in Acuna vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,583 per month in Acuna vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,257 per month in Acuna vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Acuna costs about 5% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Acuna and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Acuna 32% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.08 MX$243

$1.94 ฿63.5

625.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.03 MX$381

$18.64 ฿609

18.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 MX$140

$7.82 ฿255

3.20%

Cappuccino

$2.75 MX$47.53

$1.95 ฿63.8

41.03%

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

$1.01 MX$17.48

$0.85 ฿27.77

18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.14

$0.35 ฿11.58

182.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MX$40.21

$2.13 ฿69.6

8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 MX$69.1

$3.73 ฿122

7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.62

$1.71 ฿56.0

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 MX$33.25

$1.63 ฿53.2

17.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.24

$1.14 ฿37.15

53.51%

Eggs

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.93 ฿63.1

52.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 MX$120

$16.21 ฿530

-57.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 MX$86.2

$3.12 ฿102

59.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 MX$152

$10.90 ฿356

-19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 MX$42.83

$2.75 ฿90.0

-9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.54

$1.21 ฿39.52

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.73

$1.62 ฿53.0

9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.59 ฿51.8

20.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.48

$1.40 ฿45.70

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.44

$1.17 ฿38.17

25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 MX$17.69

$0.66 ฿21.60

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.86

$0.53 ฿17.22

149.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MX$72.2

$4.69 ฿153

-11.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 MX$187

$18.66 ฿609

-42.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.87

$1.80 ฿58.8

-10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$47.39

$3.23 ฿106

-15.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.65

$0.90 ฿29.26

-31.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 MX$406

$19.21 ฿628

22.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$45.87

$1.41 ฿45.91

87.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.51

$1.29 ฿42.12

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 MX$148

$7.84 ฿256

8.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 MX$21.29

$1.27 ฿41.58

-3.15%

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

$17.5K MX$302.7K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

-17.75%

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

$17.8K MX$308.3K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

-19.75%

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

$56.1 MX$969

$69.1 ฿2,256

-18.85%

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

$21.84 MX$378

$14.08 ฿460

55.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.11 MX$642

$18.00 ฿588

106.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.62 MX$495

$41.06 ฿1,341

-30.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 MX$251

$6.96 ฿227

108.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MX$74.3

$5.92 ฿193

-27.53%

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

$156 MX$2,699

$299 ฿9,766

-47.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,636 MX$62.9K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-75.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.75 MX$791

$54.7 ฿1,787

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 MX$683

$26.77 ฿874

47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 MX$1,495

$85.0 ฿2,776

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 MX$1,454

$70.6 ฿2,306

19.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 MX$5,009

$428 ฿14.0K

-32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MX$3,407

$237 ฿7,752

-17.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 MX$14.4K

$801 ฿26.2K

3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$515 ฿16.8K

22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,669 MX$28.9K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-15.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,349 MX$23.3K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿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 Acuna: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Acuna 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 $22.00 in Acuna versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Acuna vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Acuna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Acuna is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,364 per month in Acuna and $1,300 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $909 in Acuna and $866 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $909 in Acuna and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Acuna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.