Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tlaxcala

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlaxcala: $758 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Tlaxcala
Learn more

Tlaxcala Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tlaxcala

🇲🇽 Mexico

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $758 in Tlaxcala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tlaxcala $758

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,237 in Tlaxcala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tlaxcala $1,237

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,717 in Tlaxcala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tlaxcala $1,717

Chiang Mai costs about 23% more than Tlaxcala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Tlaxcala are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tlaxcala 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.28 MX$98.5

-57.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$22.57 MX$421

-15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.41 MX$120

-13.42%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.82 MX$52.6

-40.78%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.34 MX$25.00

-52.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.99 MX$18.38

-68.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.86 MX$34.71

26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.27 MX$42.26

61.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.62 MX$30.17

20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.99 MX$37.13

-27.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.44 MX$26.78

-7.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.26 MX$42.11

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.98 MX$130

135.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.99 MX$112

-53.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.61 MX$198

-12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.19 MX$40.77

7.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.16 MX$21.58

-16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.70 MX$31.64

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.18 MX$22.07

27.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.90 MX$16.78

42.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.06 MX$19.74

3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.82 MX$15.32

-13.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.14 MX$21.16

-57.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.37 MX$81.5

-5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$9.40 MX$175

86.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.44 MX$26.88

11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.56 MX$28.99

78.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.44 MX$8.25

97.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.67 MX$49.73

-56.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.77 MX$32.96

-70.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.55 MX$103

-56.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.42 MX$26.40

2.11%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$23.7K MX$441.0K

-10.98%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$25.3K MX$472.5K

6.28%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$32.88 MX$613

89.08%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$19.21 MX$358

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$33.93 MX$633

-40.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$32.44 MX$605

15.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$21.49 MX$401

-82.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.71 MX$87.9

37.79%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$242 MX$4,512

204.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$29.97 MX$559

78.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$49.21 MX$917

-49.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$115 MX$2,150

-20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$90.3 MX$1,684

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$253 MX$4,711

90.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$155 MX$2,893

99.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$492 MX$9,175

104.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$356 MX$6,630

78.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$648 MX$12.1K

-8.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.87

-48.76%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tlaxcala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tlaxcala

$155 20.5% 49.8% $154

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tlaxcala

$215 28.4% 8.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tlaxcala

$128 16.9% 18% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tlaxcala

$86 11.4% 8.9% $8.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tlaxcala

$119 15.6% 52.8% $41

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tlaxcala

$13 * 1.8% 78.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tlaxcala

$42 5.5% 16.7% $8.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $253 in Tlaxcala. 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 10% higher in Tlaxcala, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Tlaxcala. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $215 in Tlaxcala – so Tlaxcala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Tlaxcala

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

13:03 1:03 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,555

💱 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 = 37.59 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tlaxcala 15,380 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tlaxcala

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 Tlaxcala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 23% more than Tlaxcala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,137 in Tlaxcala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tlaxcala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $253 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $23 in Tlaxcala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Tlaxcala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.