Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ecatepec

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Ecatepec: $936 and $941 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $941 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ecatepec $941

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,634 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ecatepec $1,634

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,327 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ecatepec $2,327

Chiang Mai and Ecatepec have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$10.59 MX$199

-78.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$48.51 MX$909

-60.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.63 MX$180

-42.37%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.48 MX$65.2

-52.01%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.57 MX$29.34

-59.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$1.02 MX$19.14

-69.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.19 MX$59.8

-26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.44 MX$102

-32.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.78 MX$33.35

9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$2.70 MX$50.5

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.97 MX$36.90

-32.49%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.70 MX$50.5

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.95 MX$168

83.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$9.01 MX$169

-69.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.19 MX$247

-29.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.18 MX$59.7

-26.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.59 MX$29.76

-38.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.97 MX$37.01

-18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.90 MX$35.62

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.81 MX$33.92

-29.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.72 MX$32.21

-36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.45 MX$27.24

-51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.22 MX$22.89

-59.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.52 MX$84.8

-8.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$16.00 MX$300

9.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.94 MX$36.40

-17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.84 MX$71.9

-27.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.68 MX$12.70

27.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$30.56 MX$573

77.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$1.92 MX$36.05

-39.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.49 MX$9.15

8.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$5.51 MX$103

-56.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.43 MX$26.80

1.40%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$21.3K MX$399.4K

-1.20%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$23.2K MX$434.2K

16.26%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$56.3 MX$1,054

10.49%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$26.84 MX$503

-54.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$23.91 MX$448

-15.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$25.75 MX$483

44.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$10.64 MX$199

-64.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.48 MX$121

0.15%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$265 MX$4,969

177.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$4,979 MX$93.3K

196.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$58.2 MX$1,090

-8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$44.37 MX$831

-44.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$99.2 MX$1,859

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$96.3 MX$1,804

-25.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$239 MX$4,479

101.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$134 MX$2,514

130.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$665 MX$12.5K

51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$430 MX$8,060

47.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$768 MX$14.4K

207.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$751 MX$14.1K

111.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$548 MX$10.3K

7.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.35

-50.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ecatepec

$134 14.3% 56.6% $175

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ecatepec

$296 31.5% 26.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ecatepec

$134 14.3% 23.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ecatepec

$107 11.4% 13.3% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ecatepec

$193 20.5% 148% $115

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 38.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 23% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $239 in Ecatepec. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $49 in Ecatepec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $296 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

10:36 10:36 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,645,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Ecatepec

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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,411 in Ecatepec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $49 in Ecatepec. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Ecatepec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $941 in Ecatepec. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $941 in Ecatepec. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.