Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tepic

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,221 in Tepic, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Tepic
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Tepic Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tepic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,221 in Tepic, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tepic $1,221

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,884 in Tepic, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tepic $1,884

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,548 in Tepic, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tepic $2,548

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Tepic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tepic are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tepic 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$13.22 MX$246

-83.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$43.16 MX$805

-55.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.03 MX$168

-38.54%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.17 MX$59.1

-47.32%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.58 MX$29.42

-59.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.14 MX$21.23

-72.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.70 MX$50.4

-12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.98 MX$92.9

-26.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.55 MX$28.95

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.35 MX$43.86

-38.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.57 MX$29.35

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.12 MX$39.52

7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$4.91 MX$91.6

235.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$9.69 MX$181

-71.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.54 MX$215

-19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.68 MX$49.91

-12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.54 MX$28.70

-37.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.94 MX$36.12

-17.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.76 MX$32.85

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.06 MX$38.46

-37.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.84 MX$34.36

-40.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.56 MX$29.05

-54.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.04 MX$19.35

-52.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.36 MX$81.3

-5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$10.38 MX$194

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.78 MX$14.47

106.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.34 MX$62.4

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.77 MX$14.38

12.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$30.37 MX$566

78.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.19 MX$40.89

-47.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.51 MX$28.15

-64.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.30 MX$173

-73.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.40 MX$26.17

3.57%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$21.2K MX$394.5K

-0.50%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$23.7K MX$441.8K

13.68%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$43.90 MX$818

41.62%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$12.02 MX$224

1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$29.28 MX$546

-31.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$31.78 MX$592

17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.42 MX$325

-78.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.92 MX$110

9.63%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$237 MX$4,415

210.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$9,948 MX$185.4K

48.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$56.1 MX$1,046

-4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$40.24 MX$750

-38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$104 MX$1,939

-12.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$78.6 MX$1,465

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$567 MX$10.6K

-14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$467 MX$8,706

-33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,115 MX$20.8K

-9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$766 MX$14.3K

-17.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,934 MX$36.1K

22.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,128 MX$21.0K

40.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$652 MX$12.2K

-9.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.53

-51.69%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tepic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tepic

$467 38.3% 51.2% $158

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tepic

$251 20.5% 7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tepic

$126 10.3% 15.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tepic

$85 7% 9.8% $9.3

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tepic

$205 16.8% 165% $128

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tepic

$43 3.5% 29.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tepic

$44 3.6% 13.3% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $567 in Tepic. 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 11% higher in Tepic, 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 Tepic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $251 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Tepic

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

07:08 7:08 AM

14 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

371,387

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tepic 14,840 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tepic

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 Tepic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tepic costs about 30% 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 $1,831 in Tepic. 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 $567 in Tepic.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $237 in Tepic. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Tepic, 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 $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,221 in Tepic. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,221 in Tepic. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Tepic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.