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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,132 in Celaya versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Celaya versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Celaya versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Celaya is roughly 30% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Celaya 16% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 MX$197

$1.98 ฿64.3

479.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.23 MX$725

$18.80 ฿612

124.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$138

$7.75 ฿252

3.61%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MX$51.8

$1.92 ฿62.5

57.29%

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

$1.14 MX$19.51

$0.79 ฿25.79

44.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.08

$0.36 ฿11.62

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.21

$2.21 ฿72.1

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.66 ฿119

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.36

$1.65 ฿53.8

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 MX$39.78

$1.63 ฿53.2

42.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.06

$1.19 ฿38.86

27.73%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$34.82

$2.00 ฿65.1

1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 MX$165

$15.98 ฿520

-39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 MX$152

$3.03 ฿98.5

191.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 MX$182

$10.86 ฿354

-2.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$47.86

$2.76 ฿90.0

1.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.58

$1.18 ฿38.42

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.76

$1.64 ฿53.5

9.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.78

$1.52 ฿49.51

25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.68

$1.38 ฿45.10

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.98

$1.19 ฿38.84

85.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.51

$0.70 ฿22.86

87.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.24

$0.56 ฿18.13

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MX$69.3

$4.58 ฿149

-11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 MX$259

$16.56 ฿539

-8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.49

$1.83 ฿59.5

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$60.6

$3.20 ฿104

10.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.40

$0.88 ฿28.56

-30.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 MX$451

$18.72 ฿610

40.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 MX$13.13

$1.36 ฿44.16

-44.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.62

$1.34 ฿43.65

15.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 MX$147

$7.84 ฿256

9.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.62

$1.23 ฿39.92

2.44%

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

$26.4K MX$452.3K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

21.88%

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

$21.8K MX$373.4K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-3.52%

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

$46.54 MX$799

$70.5 ฿2,298

-34.02%

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

$22.33 MX$383

$13.68 ฿445

63.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 MX$361

$17.45 ฿568

20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 MX$610

$41.33 ฿1,346

-14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.81 MX$271

$6.96 ฿227

127.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 MX$80.1

$5.77 ฿188

-19.06%

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

$218 MX$3,750

$307 ฿10.0K

-28.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,429 MX$58.9K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 MX$986

$55.8 ฿1,817

2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 MX$734

$26.21 ฿854

63.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 MX$1,686

$85.8 ฿2,793

14.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 MX$1,254

$72.2 ฿2,353

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,820

$430 ฿14.0K

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,802

$239 ฿7,774

66.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MX$16.0K

$817 ฿26.6K

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.1K

$511 ฿16.6K

49.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$869 MX$14.9K

$619 ฿20.2K

40.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

130.00%

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

Last update for Celaya: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Celaya and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 40% 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: $42.00 in Celaya vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $241 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

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

Celaya and Chiang Mai differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,132 vs $869 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Celaya pays 40% more on average, 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: $514 in Celaya versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $42.00 in Celaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,132 per month in Celaya versus $869 in Chiang Mai – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,132 in Celaya, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Celaya. 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, Celaya 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 30% less than in Celaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.