Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,433 in Los Cabos, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
Learn more

Los Cabos Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Los Cabos

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,433 in Los Cabos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Los Cabos $1,433

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,236 in Los Cabos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Los Cabos $2,236

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,039 in Los Cabos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Los Cabos $3,039

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Los Cabos is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$22.25 MX$413

-89.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$43.10 MX$801

-55.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$13.63 MX$253

-59.28%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$5.17 MX$96.1

-67.70%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$2.35 MX$43.72

-72.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.98 MX$36.76

-84.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.07 MX$94.2

-53.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$8.23 MX$153

-55.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.56 MX$28.88

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.79 MX$51.9

-48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$2.27 MX$42.15

-41.41%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.37 MX$44.06

-3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$9.29 MX$173

77.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$9.62 MX$179

-71.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$17.21 MX$320

-45.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$4.00 MX$74.3

-41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.69 MX$31.33

-42.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.88 MX$53.5

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.40 MX$44.51

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$2.30 MX$42.64

-44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$2.54 MX$47.25

-56.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.28 MX$23.81

-44.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.79 MX$14.64

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.43 MX$82.3

-6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$10.36 MX$192

69.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.52 MX$28.28

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.08 MX$57.3

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.37 MX$25.45

-36.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$29.56 MX$549

82.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$2.48 MX$46.13

-53.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.97 MX$36.58

-73.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$10.11 MX$188

-76.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.34 MX$24.96

8.21%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$23.4K MX$434.7K

-10.04%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$23.3K MX$433.1K

15.53%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$56.6 MX$1,050

9.94%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$27.37 MX$508

-55.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$23.83 MX$443

-15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$32.66 MX$607

14.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.67 MX$365

-80.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.21 MX$78.1

54.16%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$214 MX$3,967

244.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,525 MX$84.0K

226.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$91.5 MX$1,699

-41.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$39.53 MX$734

-37.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$123 MX$2,290

-25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$88.9 MX$1,650

-19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$597 MX$11.1K

-19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$438 MX$8,132

-29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,006 MX$18.7K

0.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$741 MX$13.8K

-14.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,854 MX$34.4K

27.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,114 MX$20.7K

42.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$794 MX$14.7K

-25.74%

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 Los Cabos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Los Cabos

$438 30.6% 41.7% $129

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Los Cabos

$304 21.2% 29.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Los Cabos

$154 10.8% 42.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Los Cabos

$108 7.5% 14.1% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Los Cabos

$340 23.7% 338% $263

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Los Cabos

$47 3.3% 22.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Los Cabos

$41 2.9% 18.3% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $597 in Los Cabos. 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 35% higher in Los Cabos, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $43 in Los Cabos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $304 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

00:52 12:52 AM

14 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

202,694

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Los Cabos 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,149 in Los Cabos. 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 $482 there versus $597 in Los Cabos.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $214 in Los Cabos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Los Cabos, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,433 in Los Cabos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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