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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala.

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

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

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 33% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$5.19 Q 39.52

-62.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$53.3 Q 406

-65.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$6.35 Q 48.39

17.80%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$3.42 Q 26.03

-40.94%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$1.19 Q 9.07

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.97 Q 7.38

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$3.92 Q 29.88

-45.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$4.69 Q 35.70

-23.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.91 Q 14.53

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$3.18 Q 24.19

-50.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$1.59 Q 12.09

-25.16%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$2.53 Q 19.30

-23.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$7.46 Q 56.9

117.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$8.45 Q 64.4

-64.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$10.18 Q 77.6

7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$3.65 Q 27.80

-25.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.52 Q 11.55

-23.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$3.15 Q 24.01

-46.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.59 Q 12.11

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.75 Q 13.33

-21.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$1.77 Q 13.47

-32.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.73 Q 5.58

-8.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$1.20 Q 9.14

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.56 Q 27.13

30.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$8.07 Q 61.5

118.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.67 Q 12.76

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.51 Q 19.15

31.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$2.05 Q 15.60

-57.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$4.71 Q 35.91

-71.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$15.77 Q 120

-47.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.11 Q 8.48

9.91%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$19.4K Q 148.0K

9.90%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$22.5K Q 171.4K

0.12%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$49.84 Q 380

41.79%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$26.09 Q 199

-46.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$49.09 Q 374

-64.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$40.22 Q 306

4.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$27.79 Q 212

-75.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$7.24 Q 55.2

-18.23%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$249 Q 1,893

24.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$5,856 Q 44.6K

154.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$47.36 Q 361

17.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$54.0 Q 411

-51.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$100 Q 763

-17.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$85.9 Q 655

-18.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$880 Q 6,701

-50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$551 Q 4,197

-56.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$2,034 Q 15.5K

-59.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$1,260 Q 9,602

-59.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$3,046 Q 23.2K

-37.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$1,205 Q 9,184

21.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$544 Q 4,142

6.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

-41.18%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $880 in Antigua Guatemala. 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $266 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

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

Chiang Mai and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $1,281 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $249 in Antigua Guatemala. 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, Chiang Mai and Antigua Guatemala 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.