Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Antigua Guatemala versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,199 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,057 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Antigua Guatemala is roughly 42% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 2% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 Q 53.2

$2.08 ฿68.6

235.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 Q 394

$19.64 ฿646

162.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 Q 58.8

$5.65 ฿186

36.46%

Cappuccino

$3.44 Q 26.21

$1.81 ฿59.4

90.06%

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

$1.11 Q 8.50

$0.71 ฿23.45

56.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 Q 6.48

$0.32 ฿10.38

165.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 Q 25.13

$2.24 ฿73.6

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 Q 36.93

$3.63 ฿119

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 Q 15.38

$1.96 ฿64.4

3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 Q 22.31

$1.50 ฿49.39

94.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.51

$1.34 ฿43.93

22.39%

Eggs

$2.53 Q 19.30

$2.26 ฿74.5

11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.50 Q 41.98

$16.26 ฿535

-66.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 Q 69.7

$2.95 ฿97.1

209.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 Q 78.4

$9.94 ฿327

3.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 Q 29.97

$2.57 ฿84.6

52.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 Q 12.90

$1.06 ฿34.73

59.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 Q 21.44

$1.61 ฿53.0

74.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.16

$1.52 ฿49.97

4.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.66

$1.27 ฿41.77

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.10

$1.07 ฿35.06

60.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.66

$0.72 ฿23.68

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 Q 8.75

$0.51 ฿16.72

125.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 Q 30.52

$4.19 ฿138

-4.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 Q 61.4

$17.87 ฿587

-54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Q 13.78

$1.69 ฿55.7

7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Q 20.47

$2.84 ฿93.3

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 Q 15.59

$0.93 ฿30.43

119.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 Q 34.88

$1.23 ฿40.59

271.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.38 Q 79.2

$2.42 ฿79.7

328.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 Q 9.26

$1.41 ฿46.43

-14.18%

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

$23.0K Q 175.6K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

7.34%

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

$21.7K Q 165.7K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-20.51%

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

$63.5 Q 484

$63.7 ฿2,093

-0.35%

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

$29.10 Q 222

$12.85 ฿423

126.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.90 Q 343

$20.22 ฿665

122.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 Q 390

$38.74 ฿1,274

31.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.29 Q 208

$3.97 ฿130

587.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 Q 47.51

$6.74 ฿222

-7.57%

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

$337 Q 2,573

$778 ฿25.6K

-56.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 Q 51.8K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-53.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.45 Q 339

$54.3 ฿1,785

-18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.21 Q 360

$25.45 ฿837

85.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 Q 709

$94.3 ฿3,102

-1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 Q 687

$73.4 ฿2,415

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 Q 6,924

$490 ฿16.1K

85.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 Q 4,349

$289 ฿9,512

97.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,002 Q 15.3K

$894 ฿29.4K

124.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 Q 9,659

$517 ฿17.0K

144.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,968 Q 22.6K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

51.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 Q 9,027

$1,477 ฿48.6K

-19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$540 Q 4,122

$602 ฿19.8K

-10.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

5.57

108.62%

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

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Antigua Guatemala and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 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

Antigua Guatemala vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antigua Guatemala and Chiang Mai differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,341 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $908 in Antigua Guatemala versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $337 in Antigua Guatemala versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $52.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,341 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antigua Guatemala 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 42% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.