Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cojutepeque

For one person, living is cheaper in Cojutepeque: $809 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Cojutepeque
Learn more

Cojutepeque Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Cojutepeque

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $809 in Cojutepeque, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Cojutepeque $809

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,301 in Cojutepeque, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Cojutepeque $1,301

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,793 in Cojutepeque, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Cojutepeque $1,793

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Cojutepeque, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chiang Mai and Cojutepeque are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cojutepeque 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.63 $6.63

-66.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$44.66 $44.66

-57.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.12 $7.12

-22.05%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.51 $3.51

-52.42%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.16 $1.16

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.79 $0.79

-60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.03 $2.03

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.58 $3.58

2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.79 $1.79

8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.86 $2.86

-49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.39 $1.39

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.09 $3.09

-26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.78 $7.78

111.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$7.12 $7.12

-60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.19 $10.19

-8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$5.13 $5.13

-54.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.38 $1.38

-29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.58 $2.58

-37.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.47 $3.47

-56.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.98 $2.98

-57.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.30 $3.30

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.95 $0.95

-25.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.94 $0.94

-47.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.97 $3.97

4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.23 $12.23

43.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.18 $2.18

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.86 $2.86

-2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$6.17 $6.17

-81.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.04 $3.04

-82.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$20.18 $20.18

-88.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

-17.03%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-0.53%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$130 $130

-52.22%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$21.36 $21.36

-43.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$42.06 $42.06

-52.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.94 $4.94

31.38%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$164 $164

350.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,634 $4,634

218.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$68.1 $68.1

-21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$46.08 $46.08

-46.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$117 $117

-21.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$115 $115

-37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cojutepeque: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Cojutepeque

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Cojutepeque

$287 35.5% 22.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Cojutepeque

$156 19.2% 43.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cojutepeque

$194 23.9% 105% $99

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Cojutepeque

$142 17.5% 82.5% $64

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cojutepeque

$21 * 2.6% 65.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cojutepeque

$9.9 * 1.2% 80.4% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $45 in Cojutepeque. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $287 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇻 Cojutepeque

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

16:13 4:13 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

48,411

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cojutepeque 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cojutepeque

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 Cojutepeque: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Cojutepeque, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,214 in Cojutepeque. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $45 in Cojutepeque. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $809 in Cojutepeque. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $809 in Cojutepeque to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.