Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,619 in Ilopango, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
Learn more

Ilopango Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,619 in Ilopango, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Ilopango $1,619

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,863 in Ilopango, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Ilopango $1,863

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,107 in Ilopango, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Ilopango $2,107

Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Ilopango is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.2

$3.23 $3.23

-29.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿663

$44.80 $44.80

-56.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿189

$4.97 $4.97

12.88%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.96 $2.96

-43.92%

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

$0.70 ฿23.61

$0.87 $0.87

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.33

$0.99 $0.99

-68.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.1

$0.92 $0.92

161.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿125

$1.75 $1.75

112.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.9

$3.20 $3.20

-39.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.47

$1.49 $1.49

-5.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.03

$3.06 $3.06

-57.19%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.6

$2.95 $2.95

-26.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿562

$4.96 $4.96

235.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.0

$5.91 $5.91

-53.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿307

$10.20 $10.20

-10.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.7

$2.98 $2.98

-19.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.58

$1.95 $1.95

-47.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$1.95 $1.95

-16.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.04 $2.04

-26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.53

$2.02 $2.02

-36.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.37

$2.04 $2.04

-45.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.30

$0.93 $0.93

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.76

$1.03 $1.03

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿145

$3.91 $3.91

10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿605

$11.84 $11.84

51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$0.98 $0.98

61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.05 $2.05

38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.13

$0.88 $0.88

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,797

$35.26 $35.26

51.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.66

$6.86 $6.86

-82.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.16

$2.22 $2.22

-74.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.66 $4.66

-49.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.40

$0.68 $0.68

111.76%

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

$20.7K ฿699.2K

$19.8K $19.8K

4.54%

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

$26.8K ฿904.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.78%

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

$62.3 ฿2,102

$35.69 $35.69

74.64%

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

$12.11 ฿408

$9.91 $9.91

22.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿673

$40.70 $40.70

-51.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,250

$40.29 $40.29

-7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿127

$10.07 $10.07

-62.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿219

$5.14 $5.14

26.46%

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

$793 ฿26.7K

$103 $103

666.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿499.5K

$1,882 $1,882

686.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,813

$20.18 $20.18

166.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿831

$30.10 $30.10

-18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,064

$74.3 $74.3

22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,400

$59.0 $59.0

20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

$672 $672

-32.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.0K

$1,002 $1,002

-70.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.6K

$592 $592

53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$619 $619

-10.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.1K

$1,689 $1,689

14.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.7K

$953 $953

51.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.9K

$1,010 $1,010

-41.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Ilopango

$1K 61.9% 236% $704

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Ilopango

$249 15.4% 5.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Ilopango

$83 5.1% 23.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Ilopango

$86 5.3% 8.6% $8.1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Ilopango

$92 5.7% 16.8% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 6.7% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ilopango

$51 3.1% 1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $672 in Ilopango. 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 71% higher in Ilopango, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai versus $45 in Ilopango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $249 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

05:25 5:25 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

38,890

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.84 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Ilopango

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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilopango costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,429 in Ilopango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $455 there versus $672 in Ilopango.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $103 in Ilopango. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Ilopango, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $925 in Chiang Mai and $1,619 in Ilopango. 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 $925 in Chiang Mai to $1,619 in Ilopango. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ilopango makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.