Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ayutuxtepeque

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Ayutuxtepeque: $935 and $958 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ayutuxtepeque
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Ayutuxtepeque Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ayutuxtepeque

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ayutuxtepeque actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $958 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Chiang Mai $935
Ayutuxtepeque $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,399 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ayutuxtepeque $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,840 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ayutuxtepeque $1,840

Monthly costs are close between Chiang Mai and Ayutuxtepeque; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ayutuxtepeque 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.61 $6.61

-67.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$29.49 $29.49

-36.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$4.86 $4.86

15.23%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.60 $3.60

-53.89%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.62 $0.62

4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.48 $0.48

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$1.27 $1.27

82.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.02 $3.02

21.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.37 $1.37

47.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.52 $1.52

-7.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.02 $1.02

36.27%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.47 $2.47

-4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$7.68 $7.68

115.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$5.41 $5.41

-50.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$9.07 $9.07

-0.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$3.23 $3.23

-25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.36 $1.36

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.22 $2.22

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$3.49 $3.49

-55.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.62 $1.62

-23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$2.25 $2.25

-51.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.67 $0.67

13.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.94 $0.94

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$4.01 $4.01

2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$6.16 $6.16

191.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.47 $1.47

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$2.46 $2.46

14.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.36 $0.36

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$5.86 $5.86

-79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$2.97 $2.97

-94.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$19.96 $19.96

-90.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.23 $1.23

19.51%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$25.2K $25.2K

-16.50%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

-3.40%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$95.4 $95.4

-34.39%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$20.08 $20.08

-42.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$35.34 $35.34

-42.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$15.01 $15.01

152.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$4.88 $4.88

33.40%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$166 $166

338.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$2,943 $2,943

463.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$24.72 $24.72

116.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$30.38 $30.38

-18.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$120 $120

-24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$73.8 $73.8

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$147 $147

226.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$302 $302

2.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$403 $403

162.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$406 $406

62.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$423 $423

40.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ayutuxtepeque: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ayutuxtepeque

$302 31.6% 2.4% $7.6

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ayutuxtepeque

$219 22.8% 7.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ayutuxtepeque

$112 11.7% 3.5% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ayutuxtepeque

$151 15.7% 59.6% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ayutuxtepeque

$127 13.3% 66.5% $51

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ayutuxtepeque

$22 * 2.3% 62.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ayutuxtepeque

$25 2.6% 51.3% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $147 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $29 in Ayutuxtepeque. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $219, with Ayutuxtepeque cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇻 Ayutuxtepeque

🕒 Local time

10:36 10:36 AM

21:36 9:36 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ayutuxtepeque 16,290 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ayutuxtepeque

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 Ayutuxtepeque: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 41% 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $147 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ayutuxtepeque pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $29 in Ayutuxtepeque. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.