Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puerto Escondido

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,151 in Puerto Escondido, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Escondido
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Puerto Escondido Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Puerto Escondido

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Puerto Escondido

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,151 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Puerto Escondido $1,151

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,856 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Puerto Escondido $1,856

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,561 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Puerto Escondido $2,561

Chiang Mai is about 18% cheaper than Puerto Escondido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Puerto Escondido are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Puerto Escondido 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$10.52 MX$194

-78.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$42.96 MX$794

-55.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$8.65 MX$160

-35.38%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.58 MX$66.1

-51.96%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.42 MX$26.25

-54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.05 MX$19.38

-68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.04 MX$56.2

-22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.05 MX$74.9

-3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.85 MX$34.14

10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.84 MX$52.5

-50.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.64 MX$30.22

-21.95%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.80 MX$51.7

-19.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.20 MX$152

106.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$10.98 MX$203

-75.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$11.54 MX$213

-18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.68 MX$49.45

-10.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.59 MX$29.42

-36.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.86 MX$34.42

-13.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.73 MX$32.01

-12.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.59 MX$29.46

-19.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.02 MX$37.35

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.48 MX$27.28

-51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.14 MX$21.15

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.48 MX$82.7

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.36 MX$191

71.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.46 MX$45.43

-33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.09 MX$57.1

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.83 MX$15.35

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.80 MX$51.7

-58.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.78 MX$32.92

-67.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$9.89 MX$183

-76.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.36 MX$25.14

6.62%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$18.7K MX$344.9K

9.70%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$25.2K MX$465.2K

5.31%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$64.7 MX$1,196

-3.66%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$22.92 MX$424

-46.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$36.45 MX$674

-45.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$27.77 MX$513

36.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$19.89 MX$368

-81.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.56 MX$84.2

47.15%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$220 MX$4,069

261.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$4,364 MX$80.6K

239.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$49.88 MX$922

6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$42.79 MX$791

-41.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$91.6 MX$1,693

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$84.0 MX$1,553

-12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$601 MX$11.1K

-22.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$382 MX$7,061

-20.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$960 MX$17.7K

-4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$778 MX$14.4K

-28.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,036 MX$37.6K

-6.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,289 MX$23.8K

11.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$327 MX$6,035

82.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Puerto Escondido

$382 33.2% 25.4% $77

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Puerto Escondido

$285 24.8% 19.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Puerto Escondido

$121 10.5% 10.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Puerto Escondido

$124 10.8% 31.2% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Puerto Escondido

$186 16.2% 136% $107

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Puerto Escondido

$15 * 1.3% 75.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Puerto Escondido

$37 3.2% 28.2% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $601 in Puerto Escondido. 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 82% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $43.00 in Puerto Escondido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $285 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Puerto Escondido

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

12:32 12:32 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

25,902

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Puerto Escondido 15,780 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puerto Escondido

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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Escondido costs about 23% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,726 in Puerto Escondido. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $43.00 in Puerto Escondido. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Puerto Escondido, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Puerto Escondido at $1,151. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Escondido it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,151 in Puerto Escondido. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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