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 $1,231 per month in Acuna vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,957 per month in Acuna vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Acuna vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Acuna costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Acuna and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Acuna 10% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 MX$203

$2.08 ฿69.2

475.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 MX$900

$19.64 ฿651

169.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 MX$164

$5.65 ฿188

70.44%

Cappuccino

$4.01 MX$68.0

$1.81 ฿59.9

121.55%

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

$1.25 MX$21.31

$0.71 ฿23.66

76.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.94

$0.32 ฿10.48

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$53.5

$2.24 ฿74.2

40.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$75.8

$3.63 ฿121

22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 MX$33.02

$1.96 ฿65.0

-1.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 MX$47.42

$1.50 ฿49.83

86.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.44

$1.34 ฿44.32

29.10%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$45.23

$2.26 ฿75.1

17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 MX$144

$16.26 ฿539

-47.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 MX$134

$2.95 ฿98.0

168.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.58 MX$197

$9.94 ฿330

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$49.22

$2.57 ฿85.3

12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.22

$1.06 ฿35.04

62.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.63

$1.61 ฿53.5

34.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.31

$1.52 ฿50.4

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$35.72

$1.27 ฿42.14

65.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.77

$1.07 ฿35.37

57.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.72 ฿23.89

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.45

$0.51 ฿16.87

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 MX$74.3

$4.19 ฿139

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$178

$17.87 ฿593

-41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 MX$37.72

$1.69 ฿56.2

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 MX$52.6

$2.84 ฿94.1

9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.10

$0.93 ฿30.70

-17.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 MX$46.29

$1.23 ฿40.95

121.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 MX$35.57

$0.58 ฿19.13

260.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.11 MX$206

$2.42 ฿80.4

400.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.34

$1.41 ฿46.84

1.42%

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

$21.9K MX$372.5K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

2.29%

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

$28.4K MX$482.2K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

3.87%

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

$53.7 MX$912

$63.7 ฿2,112

-15.63%

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

$24.70 MX$420

$12.85 ฿426

92.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.30 MX$481

$20.22 ฿671

39.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.60 MX$605

$38.74 ฿1,285

-8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.40 MX$312

$3.97 ฿132

363.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$83.7

$6.74 ฿223

-26.85%

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

$229 MX$3,888

$778 ฿25.8K

-70.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,387 MX$91.5K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-63.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 MX$1,147

$54.3 ฿1,801

24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 MX$841

$25.45 ฿844

94.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,795

$94.3 ฿3,129

12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,760

$73.4 ฿2,436

41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 MX$9,602

$490 ฿16.2K

15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,098

$289 ฿9,596

64.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 MX$21.7K

$894 ฿29.6K

43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$517 ฿17.1K

40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,726 MX$29.3K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

-11.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 MX$20.4K

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-18.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Acuna: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Acuna versus $490 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 $53.0 in Acuna versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $240 – 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

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

Yes – Acuna is pricier by about 30%, 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 $1,846 per month in Acuna and $1,421 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 $53.0 in Acuna and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Acuna, 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 $947, than in Acuna at $1,231. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Acuna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.