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: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $2,111 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $2,955 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 32% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Antigua Guatemala 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$5.12 Q 39.04

-62.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$53.2 Q 405

-64.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$6.49 Q 49.49

20.49%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.40 Q 25.90

-42.65%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$1.22 Q 9.31

-30.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.92 Q 6.98

-61.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$3.87 Q 29.46

-44.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$4.60 Q 35.08

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.94 Q 14.79

-11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$3.08 Q 23.47

-47.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.64 Q 12.52

-30.49%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$2.55 Q 19.45

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$7.65 Q 58.3

111.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$8.47 Q 64.6

-63.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$10.28 Q 78.3

6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$3.65 Q 27.85

-24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.56 Q 11.91

-22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$3.08 Q 23.47

-47.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.65 Q 12.59

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$1.76 Q 13.39

-20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$1.73 Q 13.15

-32.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.74 Q 5.65

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$1.23 Q 9.34

-56.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.61 Q 27.50

29.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$7.98 Q 60.8

133.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.69 Q 12.87

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.42 Q 18.48

33.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$1.97 Q 15.03

-54.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$4.67 Q 35.60

-69.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$15.37 Q 117

-48.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.12 Q 8.52

13.39%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$19.6K Q 149.4K

8.53%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$22.1K Q 168.2K

0.61%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$48.43 Q 369

42.62%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$26.09 Q 199

-46.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$48.90 Q 373

-63.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$40.38 Q 308

1.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$27.77 Q 212

-74.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$7.31 Q 55.7

-19.02%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$246 Q 1,878

21.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$5,834 Q 44.5K

156.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$46.64 Q 355

17.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$53.6 Q 409

-50.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$101 Q 771

-16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$83.8 Q 639

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$879 Q 6,701

-51.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$556 Q 4,237

-57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$2,010 Q 15.3K

-60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$1,247 Q 9,503

-58.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$2,985 Q 22.8K

-33.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,222 Q 9,312

20.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$539 Q 4,104

14.65%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $879 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $267 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 46% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $1,267 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 15% 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $879 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $246 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 $19.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,267 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 46% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.