Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tuxtla Gutierrez

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Tuxtla Gutierrez: $938 and $915 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Tuxtla Gutierrez
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Tuxtla Gutierrez Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Tuxtla Gutierrez

🇲🇽 Mexico

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Tuxtla Gutierrez

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $915 in Tuxtla Gutierrez, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Tuxtla Gutierrez $915

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,529 in Tuxtla Gutierrez, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Tuxtla Gutierrez $1,529

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,142 in Tuxtla Gutierrez, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Tuxtla Gutierrez $2,142

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Tuxtla Gutierrez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tuxtla Gutierrez are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Tuxtla Gutierrez 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$6.69 MX$124

-66.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$19.09 MX$353

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.30 MX$135

-23.42%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.87 MX$71.4

-55.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.38 MX$25.53

-53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.09 MX$20.08

-69.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.16 MX$39.85

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.48 MX$45.86

57.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.55 MX$28.61

32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.76 MX$51.1

-49.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.75 MX$32.33

-26.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.61 MX$48.31

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$18.67 MX$345

-9.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$7.96 MX$147

-65.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.75 MX$199

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.70 MX$49.81

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.39 MX$25.64

-27.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.53 MX$46.74

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.64 MX$30.34

-7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.76 MX$32.54

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.03 MX$37.46

-45.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.13 MX$20.91

-36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.65 MX$12.06

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.51 MX$83.3

-3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$11.03 MX$204

60.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.45 MX$26.76

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.86 MX$71.4

-26.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.53 MX$9.74

60.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$29.17 MX$539

84.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.70 MX$49.83

-56.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.81 MX$52.0

-79.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.18 MX$151

-71.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.45 MX$26.87

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$22.3K MX$411.3K

-8.02%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$25.1K MX$463.4K

5.73%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$24.62 MX$455

153.17%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$20.22 MX$374

-39.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$25.40 MX$469

-21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.92 MX$775

-9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$13.75 MX$254

-72.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.90 MX$109

13.73%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,297 MX$42.5K

545.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$33.97 MX$628

56.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$16.54 MX$306

51.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$68.6 MX$1,267

33.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$55.6 MX$1,028

32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$330 MX$6,099

40.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$229 MX$4,240

32.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$821 MX$15.2K

11.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$608 MX$11.2K

-9.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$501 MX$9,254

18.85%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tuxtla Gutierrez: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$229 25.1% 24.7% $75

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$288 31.4% 20.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$79 8.6% 28.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$70 7.7% 25.7% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$147 16.1% 86.6% $68

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$48 5.3% 21.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$54 5.9% 4.6% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $330 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. 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 19% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $19.00 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $288 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇽 Tuxtla Gutierrez

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

02:00 2:00 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

578,830

💱 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 Tuxtla Gutierrez 15,850 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tuxtla Gutierrez

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 Tuxtla Gutierrez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Tuxtla Gutierrez, 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 $1,373 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tuxtla Gutierrez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Tuxtla Gutierrez. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tuxtla Gutierrez, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Tuxtla Gutierrez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tuxtla Gutierrez costs $915 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Tuxtla Gutierrez. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.