Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,845 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,522 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto is roughly 35% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 13% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 MX$162

$1.94 ฿63.5

382.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 MX$789

$18.64 ฿609

144.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$141

$7.82 ฿255

4.35%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$63.8

$1.95 ฿63.8

89.23%

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

$1.27 MX$21.93

$0.85 ฿27.77

49.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.13

$0.35 ฿11.58

165.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.87

$2.13 ฿69.6

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.8

$3.73 ฿122

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.77

$1.71 ฿56.0

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.68

$1.63 ฿53.2

58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.02

$1.14 ฿37.15

77.19%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.39

$1.93 ฿63.1

23.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 MX$141

$16.21 ฿530

-49.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 MX$169

$3.12 ฿102

213.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 MX$229

$10.90 ฿356

21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MX$62.2

$2.75 ฿90.0

30.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.51

$1.21 ฿39.52

21.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.61

$1.62 ฿53.0

19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.64

$1.59 ฿51.8

7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.96

$1.40 ฿45.70

27.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.55

$1.17 ฿38.17

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$22.76

$0.66 ฿21.60

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.53 ฿17.22

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$74.8

$4.69 ฿153

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.48 MX$302

$18.66 ฿609

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.58

$1.80 ฿58.8

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$3.23 ฿106

-1.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.09

$0.90 ฿29.26

-28.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.4

$1.41 ฿45.91

126.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.71

$1.29 ฿42.12

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 MX$164

$7.84 ฿256

20.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.41

$1.27 ฿41.58

2.36%

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

$19.5K MX$338.1K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

-8.13%

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

$20.1K MX$347.1K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

-9.66%

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

$61.4 MX$1,062

$69.1 ฿2,256

-11.10%

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

$24.08 MX$417

$14.08 ฿460

71.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.87 MX$482

$18.00 ฿588

54.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.60 MX$633

$41.06 ฿1,341

-10.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$271

$6.96 ฿227

125.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$5.92 ฿193

-1.01%

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

$320 MX$5,539

$299 ฿9,766

7.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,797 MX$83.0K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-67.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MX$884

$54.7 ฿1,787

-6.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 MX$729

$26.77 ฿874

57.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 MX$1,685

$85.0 ฿2,776

14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 MX$1,677

$70.6 ฿2,306

37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$8,981

$428 ฿14.0K

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,818

$237 ฿7,752

66.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.4K

$801 ฿26.2K

18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 MX$13.0K

$515 ฿16.8K

45.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,808 MX$31.3K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-8.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 MX$24.3K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-4.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

131.00%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Atotonilco el Alto and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $246 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

Atotonilco el Alto 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 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,750 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,300 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $519 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $299 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 $19.00 versus $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,167 in Atotonilco el Alto, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Atotonilco el Alto. 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 Atotonilco el Alto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Atotonilco el Alto 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 35% less than in Atotonilco el Alto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.