Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $144 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in El Progreso

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $144 in El Progreso, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
El Progreso $144

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $283 in El Progreso, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
El Progreso $283

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $422 in El Progreso, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
El Progreso $422

Chiang Mai costs about 550% more than El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and El Progreso are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, El Progreso 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.89 HNL 131

-54.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$24.46 HNL 657

-22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.89 HNL 212

-29.66%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.51 HNL 40.69

10.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.88 HNL 23.77

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.97 HNL 26.03

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.45 HNL 38.96

62.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.02 HNL 54.2

81.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.25 HNL 33.66

56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.07 HNL 28.82

24.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.58 HNL 42.36

44.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.49 HNL 39.91

-34.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.54 HNL 41.49

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.62 HNL 70.5

58.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.29 HNL 34.65

24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.36 HNL 36.43

104.41%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

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

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $24 in El Progreso. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $44 in El Progreso – so El Progreso wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

100,810

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, 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).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai El Progreso 16,140 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
El Progreso

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 El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 550% more than El Progreso, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $216 in El Progreso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $144 in El Progreso. That’s a gap of about 550%.

Groceries cost about 429% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $144 in El Progreso to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.