Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,145 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga
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Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,145 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $1,145

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,845 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $1,845

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,546 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $2,546

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

Both Chiang Mai and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$13.25 MX$248

-83.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$43.31 MX$810

-57.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$9.27 MX$173

-39.59%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.14 MX$58.8

-47.13%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.63 MX$30.54

-60.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$1.13 MX$21.12

-73.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.18 MX$40.75

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.92 MX$92.1

-25.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.58 MX$29.59

27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$2.60 MX$48.55

-45.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.54 MX$28.84

-9.74%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$2.41 MX$45.05

-1.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$8.60 MX$161

92.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$7.88 MX$147

-66.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$10.07 MX$188

-10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$2.40 MX$44.96

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.47 MX$27.44

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.31 MX$24.54

26.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.37 MX$25.66

13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$1.65 MX$30.81

-24.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$1.11 MX$20.73

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$1.50 MX$27.99

-49.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$1.04 MX$19.38

-50.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$4.39 MX$82.2

-6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$9.82 MX$184

82.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.58 MX$29.61

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.31 MX$61.9

-14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.67 MX$12.54

38.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$30.69 MX$574

72.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$2.13 MX$39.89

-44.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.50 MX$28.02

-88.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$8.18 MX$153

-77.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.29 MX$24.14

13.95%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$21.0K MX$392.0K

0.25%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$23.6K MX$441.9K

12.22%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$48.88 MX$914

27.99%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$22.87 MX$428

-49.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$21.69 MX$406

-6.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$32.21 MX$602

17.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$18.58 MX$347

-80.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$3.15 MX$58.9

106.67%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$240 MX$4,483

203.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$4,572 MX$85.5K

262.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$55.3 MX$1,035

-3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$40.27 MX$753

-38.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$101 MX$1,891

-10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$79.1 MX$1,480

-9.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$596 MX$11.1K

-19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$397 MX$7,420

-21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,010 MX$18.9K

4.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$779 MX$14.6K

-15.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,758 MX$32.9K

37.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,226 MX$22.9K

31.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$621 MX$11.6K

-4.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.32

4.70%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$397 34.7% 28% $87

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$246 21.5% 3.8% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$124 10.8% 14.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$93 8.2% 1.1% $1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$203 17.8% 166% $127

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$43 3.8% 26.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$39 3.4% 24.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $596 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 4% higher in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

15:31 3:31 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,103

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 15,010 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga costs about 22% 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 $1,717 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 $596 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $240 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,145 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 $1,145 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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