Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and San Pedro, Belize

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,602 in San Pedro, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$935

/mo nomad

San Pedro

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in San Pedro

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,602 in San Pedro, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
San Pedro $1,602

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,720 in San Pedro, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
San Pedro $2,720

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,837 in San Pedro, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
San Pedro $3,837

Chiang Mai is about 42% cheaper than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while San Pedro is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$9.39 BZD 18.78

-77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$29.50 BZD 59.0

-36.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.99 BZD 5.98

-44.48%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.41 BZD 2.82

-53.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$1.51 BZD 3.02

-80.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.93 BZD 5.86

-20.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.92 BZD 7.85

-6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$5.15 BZD 10.29

-60.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$2.41 BZD 4.82

-41.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$5.62 BZD 11.23

-75.27%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.86 BZD 3.71

27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$11.91 BZD 23.82

38.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$13.29 BZD 26.58

-79.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$10.76 BZD 21.52

-16.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$14.48 BZD 28.96

-83.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.12 BZD 2.23

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$7.64 BZD 15.29

-79.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$6.70 BZD 13.40

-81.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$3.76 BZD 7.51

-71.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$1.22 BZD 2.44

-37.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$1.92 BZD 3.83

-73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$23.56 BZD 47.13

-23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.69 BZD 7.39

-56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.90 BZD 7.80

-27.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$4.94 BZD 9.89

-96.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.64 BZD 3.28

-10.37%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$174 BZD 349

-64.10%

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

$11.60 ฿389

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$29.53 BZD 59.1

28.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,004 BZD 2,008

-52.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$743 BZD 1,485

-58.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,811 BZD 5,623

-62.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$2,007 BZD 4,015

-67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$2,688 BZD 5,377

-10.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,588 BZD 3,176

1.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿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: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

San Pedro

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

San Pedro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

San Pedro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

San Pedro

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

San Pedro

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

San Pedro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

San Pedro

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,004 in San Pedro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in San Pedro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $486 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇿 San Pedro

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

11:22 11:22 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,456

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai San Pedro 15,860 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
San Pedro

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 San Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro costs about 71% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,404 in San Pedro. 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 $481 there versus $1,004 in San Pedro.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,602 in San Pedro. That makes Chiang Mai about 42% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 105% more in San Pedro, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,602 in San Pedro. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,602 in San Pedro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.