Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ahuachapan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,812 in Ahuachapan, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Ahuachapan
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Ahuachapan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ahuachapan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,812

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ahuachapan and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ahuachapan and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,812 per month in Ahuachapan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ahuachapan $1,812
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,002 per month in Ahuachapan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ahuachapan $2,002
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Ahuachapan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ahuachapan $2,191
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ahuachapan costs about 94% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ahuachapan sits 33% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 $6.58

$2.24 ฿75.6

193.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 $45.37

$19.00 ฿641

138.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.55 ฿187

28.11%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$1.67 ฿56.5

113.77%

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

$1.16 $1.16

$0.64 ฿21.55

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.31 ฿10.31

170.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.36 ฿79.6

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.66 ฿124

-0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.95 ฿65.8

-7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.44 ฿48.48

100.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.33 ฿45.04

6.77%

Eggs

$2.94 $2.94

$2.28 ฿77.1

28.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

$16.45 ฿555

-52.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$2.78 ฿93.9

143.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.31 ฿314

7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.35 ฿79.4

118.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.97 ฿32.80

40.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.60 ฿53.9

66.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.50 ฿50.6

132.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.28 ฿43.12

125.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.10 ฿37.19

191.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.71 ฿23.82

42.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.49 ฿16.37

83.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.14 ฿140

-4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 $11.80

$17.52 ฿591

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.61 ฿54.5

41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.78 ฿94.0

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.16 ฿39.06

432.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.53 ฿17.80

452.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 $19.68

$2.42 ฿81.8

713.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.45 ฿48.90

-13.79%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

18.58%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-0.44%

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

$131 $131

$62.2 ฿2,098

110.97%

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

$21.62 $21.62

$12.17 ฿411

77.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.63 $42.63

$20.12 ฿679

111.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$6.49 ฿219

-20.80%

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

$165 $165

$736 ฿24.8K

-77.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,784 $4,784

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-67.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 $67.1

$53.4 ฿1,801

25.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.82 $47.82

$24.64 ฿831

94.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$91.5 ฿3,087

29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$71.9 ฿2,428

60.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 $528

$482 ฿16.3K

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$309 ฿10.4K

224.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 $366

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$633 ฿21.4K

-37.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,094 $3,094

$2,363 ฿79.8K

30.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-19.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$570 $570

$590 ฿19.9K

-3.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

5.57

52.60%

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

Last update for Ahuachapan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ahuachapan

$1K 55.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 69.2% $693

Groceries & Markets

Ahuachapan

$285 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 17.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ahuachapan

$195 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 51.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Ahuachapan

$157 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 30.8% $48

Eating Out

Ahuachapan

$142 7.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 45.4% $65

Getting Around

Ahuachapan

$21 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 194% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Ahuachapan

$10 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 389% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $528 in Ahuachapan versus $482 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.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Ahuachapan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ahuachapan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

09:41 9:41 AM

13 h ahead of Ahuachapan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,511

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ahuachapan Chiang Mai 16,250 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ahuachapan
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,812 in Ahuachapan, $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,718 per month in Ahuachapan and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $528 in Ahuachapan and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,812 in Ahuachapan and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 48% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $165 per month in Ahuachapan and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,812 in Ahuachapan and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,812 in Ahuachapan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.