Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Azcapotzalco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,203 in Azcapotzalco, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Azcapotzalco
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Azcapotzalco Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Azcapotzalco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,203 in Azcapotzalco.

Chiang Mai $936
Azcapotzalco $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,883 in Azcapotzalco.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Azcapotzalco $1,883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,563 in Azcapotzalco.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Azcapotzalco $2,563

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 22% less than in Azcapotzalco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Azcapotzalco 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$10.63 MX$197

-78.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$43.46 MX$807

-56.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.27 MX$154

-32.89%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$3.42 MX$63.5

-51.17%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.38 MX$25.55

-53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.04 MX$19.26

-70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.45 MX$45.42

-3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.94 MX$73.1

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.57 MX$29.11

24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.58 MX$47.90

-44.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.67 MX$31.00

-20.36%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.48 MX$46.05

-8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$8.21 MX$152

100.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$8.09 MX$150

-65.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.51 MX$214

-19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.74 MX$50.9

-14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.54 MX$28.51

-37.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.86 MX$34.59

-13.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.82 MX$33.83

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.97 MX$36.60

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.80 MX$33.42

-38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.45 MX$26.95

-51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.06 MX$19.75

-53.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.37 MX$81.2

-5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$10.44 MX$194

67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.74 MX$32.23

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.15 MX$58.4

-11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.62 MX$11.47

40.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$33.88 MX$629

59.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$2.55 MX$47.28

-54.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.95 MX$36.22

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$10.07 MX$187

-75.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.42 MX$26.33

2.11%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$23.4K MX$435.5K

-10.19%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$23.0K MX$426.5K

17.31%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$56.7 MX$1,053

9.69%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$22.63 MX$420

-46.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$29.54 MX$549

-31.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$32.96 MX$612

13.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.10 MX$373

-81.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.05 MX$93.8

28.51%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$219 MX$4,062

236.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,570 MX$84.9K

223.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$54.3 MX$1,008

-1.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$40.29 MX$748

-38.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$99.8 MX$1,853

-8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$87.5 MX$1,624

-17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$602 MX$11.2K

-19.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$434 MX$8,057

-28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,006 MX$18.7K

0.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$764 MX$14.2K

-17.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,896 MX$35.2K

24.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,128 MX$20.9K

40.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-65.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.31

-50.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Azcapotzalco

$434 36.1% 40.4% $125

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Azcapotzalco

$261 21.7% 11.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Azcapotzalco

$127 10.5% 16.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Azcapotzalco

$109 9.1% 15.2% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Azcapotzalco

$181 15% 133% $103

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Azcapotzalco

$49 4% 20.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Azcapotzalco

$43 3.6% 14.4% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $602 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $43 in Azcapotzalco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $261 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Azcapotzalco

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

02:18 2:18 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

432,205

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Azcapotzalco 15,320 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Azcapotzalco

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 Azcapotzalco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,203 in Azcapotzalco, so Chiang Mai is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Chiang Mai. 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $602 in Azcapotzalco. 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 versus $43 in Azcapotzalco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,203 in Azcapotzalco – Chiang Mai is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Azcapotzalco on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.