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: $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Antigua Guatemala is roughly 49% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 4% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 Q 39.54

$1.96 ฿65.9

164.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 Q 406

$18.35 ฿617

190.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 Q 48.41

$7.48 ฿252

-15.11%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.05

$2.02 ฿67.8

69.31%

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

$1.19 Q 9.07

$0.85 ฿28.52

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 Q 7.39

$0.36 ฿11.97

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 Q 29.89

$2.14 ฿71.9

83.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 Q 35.72

$3.59 ฿121

30.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 Q 14.54

$1.65 ฿55.5

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 Q 24.20

$1.57 ฿52.7

102.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.09

$1.19 ฿40.05

33.61%

Eggs

$2.53 Q 19.31

$1.94 ฿65.1

30.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.46 Q 56.9

$16.19 ฿545

-53.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 Q 64.4

$2.99 ฿101

182.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 Q 77.6

$10.94 ฿368

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 Q 27.81

$2.71 ฿91.2

34.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.56

$1.17 ฿39.27

29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.02

$1.69 ฿56.8

86.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.11

$1.60 ฿54.0

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 Q 13.34

$1.38 ฿46.56

26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$1.20 ฿40.47

47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Q 5.59

$0.67 ฿22.51

8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.15

$0.56 ฿18.74

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 Q 27.15

$4.64 ฿156

-23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.5

$17.62 ฿593

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Q 12.77

$1.86 ฿62.6

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 Q 19.16

$3.30 ฿111

-23.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 Q 15.61

$0.88 ฿29.70

132.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 Q 35.93

$1.36 ฿45.92

246.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 Q 120

$8.21 ฿276

92.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.49

$1.22 ฿41.20

-9.02%

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

$19.4K Q 148.1K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

-9.01%

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

$22.5K Q 171.5K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

-0.12%

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

$49.84 Q 380

$70.7 ฿2,378

-29.48%

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

$26.09 Q 199

$14.04 ฿472

85.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.09 Q 374

$17.49 ฿589

180.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 Q 307

$42.15 ฿1,418

-4.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.79 Q 212

$6.88 ฿231

303.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 Q 55.2

$5.92 ฿199

22.30%

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

$249 Q 1,894

$309 ฿10.4K

-19.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Q 44.6K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-60.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.36 Q 361

$55.8 ฿1,876

-15.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 Q 412

$26.11 ฿879

106.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 Q 764

$83.0 ฿2,793

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 Q 655

$70.5 ฿2,371

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 Q 6,705

$432 ฿14.5K

103.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 Q 4,199

$239 ฿8,040

130.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 Q 15.5K

$822 ฿27.7K

147.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 Q 9,607

$512 ฿17.2K

146.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,046 Q 23.2K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

59.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 Q 9,189

$1,467 ฿49.4K

-17.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 Q 4,144

$579 ฿19.5K

-6.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

70.00%

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

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Antigua Guatemala and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $243 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 49% in total monthly costs ($1,281 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $880 in Antigua Guatemala versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Antigua Guatemala versus $309 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 $18.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,281 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 49% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.