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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Aguascalientes versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Aguascalientes versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Aguascalientes versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aguascalientes is roughly 23% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aguascalientes 15% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 MX$234

$2.08 ฿69.4

561.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.62 MX$809

$19.64 ฿654

142.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 MX$129

$5.65 ฿188

33.98%

Cappuccino

$4.13 MX$70.2

$1.81 ฿60.1

128.18%

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

$1.78 MX$30.18

$0.71 ฿23.75

150.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.22

$0.32 ฿10.52

309.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MX$41.05

$2.24 ฿74.5

8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 MX$60.4

$3.63 ฿121

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.36

$1.96 ฿65.2

-20.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$39.55

$1.50 ฿50.0

55.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.70

$1.34 ฿44.49

17.16%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.09

$2.26 ฿75.4

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 MX$143

$16.26 ฿541

-48.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 MX$152

$2.95 ฿98.4

203.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 MX$207

$9.94 ฿331

22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.23

$2.57 ฿85.7

-5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.32

$1.06 ฿35.18

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.93

$1.61 ฿53.7

1.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.99

$1.52 ฿50.6

23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.13

$1.27 ฿42.30

30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.68

$1.07 ฿35.51

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.16

$0.72 ฿23.98

48.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.15

$0.51 ฿16.94

86.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 MX$80.5

$4.19 ฿140

12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 MX$164

$17.87 ฿595

-45.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$31.84

$1.69 ฿56.4

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 MX$64.0

$2.84 ฿94.5

32.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.49

$0.93 ฿30.82

-26.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.72 MX$437

$53.9 ฿1,794

-52.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$22.63

$1.23 ฿41.11

8.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.25

$0.58 ฿19.20

105.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 MX$199

$2.42 ฿80.7

383.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.60

$1.41 ฿47.03

11.35%

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

$22.3K MX$379.3K

$21.4K ฿714.1K

4.08%

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

$25.8K MX$437.7K

$27.3K ฿910.2K

-5.76%

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

$59.2 MX$1,006

$63.7 ฿2,120

-7.00%

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

$26.57 MX$452

$12.85 ฿428

106.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.17 MX$445

$20.22 ฿673

29.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.31 MX$566

$38.74 ฿1,290

-14.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.06 MX$392

$3.97 ฿132

480.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$92.2

$6.74 ฿224

-19.44%

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

$230 MX$3,909

$778 ฿25.9K

-70.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,096 MX$52.6K

$14.6K ฿486.5K

-78.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 MX$994

$54.3 ฿1,808

7.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.70 MX$709

$25.45 ฿847

63.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,902

$94.3 ฿3,141

18.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 MX$1,296

$73.4 ฿2,446

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 MX$9,172

$490 ฿16.3K

10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MX$6,311

$289 ฿9,634

28.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 MX$14.4K

$894 ฿29.8K

-5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 MX$11.7K

$517 ฿17.2K

33.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,276 MX$21.7K

$1,955 ฿65.1K

-34.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 MX$21.6K

$1,477 ฿49.2K

-13.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 MX$15.8K

$602 ฿20.0K

54.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

5.57

101.08%

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

Last update for Aguascalientes: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Aguascalientes and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Aguascalientes vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $240 per month, with Chiang Mai 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Aguascalientes, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $540 in Aguascalientes versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 109% less than in Aguascalientes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $230 in Aguascalientes versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,167 in Aguascalientes, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Aguascalientes. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aguascalientes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aguascalientes and Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Aguascalientes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.