Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,092 in Aguascalientes, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
Learn more

Aguascalientes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,092 in Aguascalientes.

Chiang Mai $938
Aguascalientes $1,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,731 in Aguascalientes.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Aguascalientes $1,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $2,369 in Aguascalientes.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Aguascalientes $2,369

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 14% less than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Aguascalientes 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$12.38 MX$229

-81.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$43.61 MX$806

-56.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.11 MX$131

-21.38%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.66 MX$67.6

-53.01%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.67 MX$30.86

-61.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.25 MX$23.02

-73.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.22 MX$41.02

6.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.34 MX$61.7

16.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.50 MX$27.63

36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.18 MX$40.35

-35.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.54 MX$28.40

-16.88%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.48 MX$45.90

-9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.06 MX$149

110.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$8.17 MX$151

-66.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$11.64 MX$215

-19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.22 MX$40.93

8.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.32 MX$24.42

-23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.54 MX$28.51

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.69 MX$31.21

-10.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.57 MX$28.92

-18.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.41 MX$26.06

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.02 MX$18.90

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.84 MX$15.61

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.49 MX$83.0

-3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.92 MX$165

98.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.83 MX$33.90

-10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.32 MX$61.3

-14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.63 MX$11.62

34.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$24.57 MX$454

119.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.26 MX$23.28

-7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.10 MX$20.36

-48.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$10.79 MX$199

-78.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.52 MX$28.16

-4.61%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$21.5K MX$396.5K

-4.57%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$23.7K MX$437.8K

11.91%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$55.3 MX$1,023

12.65%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$24.53 MX$453

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$24.95 MX$461

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$31.67 MX$585

19.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$21.89 MX$405

-82.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.21 MX$96.4

28.79%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$211 MX$3,894

278.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,871 MX$53.0K

416.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$55.1 MX$1,018

-3.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$37.63 MX$695

-33.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$103 MX$1,900

-10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$71.4 MX$1,319

2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$502 MX$9,285

-7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$356 MX$6,577

-14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$806 MX$14.9K

13.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$628 MX$11.6K

-12.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,163 MX$21.5K

64.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,194 MX$22.1K

20.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$854 MX$15.8K

-30.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.2

-50.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Aguascalientes

$356 32.6% 16.8% $51

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Aguascalientes

$242 22.1% 1.6% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Aguascalientes

$120 11% 9.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Aguascalientes

$105 9.6% 10.8% $10

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Aguascalientes

$194 17.7% 145% $115

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1% 44.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Aguascalientes

$42 3.9% 18% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $502 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 43% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $44.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $242 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

11:35 11:35 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

863,893

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Aguascalientes 14,930 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Aguascalientes

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Aguascalientes. 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: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $502 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 119% less than in Aguascalientes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $211 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,092 in Aguascalientes, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Aguascalientes. 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 Aguascalientes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Aguascalientes 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 16% less than in Aguascalientes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.