Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zamora de Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zamora de Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,844 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,486 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 25% cheaper than Zamora de Hidalgo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Zamora de Hidalgo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zamora de Hidalgo 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$8.31 MX$150

-74.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿653

$19.74 MX$357

-1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿184

$9.12 MX$165

-40.02%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.7

$3.68 MX$66.6

-54.35%

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

$0.66 ฿22.22

$1.76 MX$31.82

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.58

$1.04 MX$18.86

-67.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$1.69 MX$30.55

43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿126

$2.75 MX$49.75

35.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿69.3

$1.88 MX$34.01

9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.06

$2.70 MX$48.77

-45.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.34

$2.03 MX$36.73

-33.50%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.4

$2.85 MX$51.5

-20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿549

$8.85 MX$160

84.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.8

$9.03 MX$163

-70.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿310

$13.92 MX$252

-33.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.6

$3.51 MX$63.5

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.85

$1.69 MX$30.55

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.22 MX$40.04

-27.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.64

$1.91 MX$34.54

-24.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.84

$1.89 MX$34.13

-31.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.50

$1.86 MX$33.53

-40.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.69

$1.55 MX$27.95

-54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.09

$1.24 MX$22.38

-58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿139

$4.48 MX$81.0

-7.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿599

$17.96 MX$325

-1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿55.0

$2.37 MX$42.92

-31.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.6

$4.14 MX$74.8

-30.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.92

$0.70 MX$12.58

22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,790

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿41.05

$3.32 MX$60.0

-63.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.92

$2.62 MX$47.42

-78.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.9

$10.93 MX$198

-78.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.50 MX$27.20

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

$20.9K ฿702.3K

$21.2K MX$383.6K

-1.71%

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

$26.7K ฿900.1K

$24.3K MX$438.3K

10.24%

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

$61.3 ฿2,063

$61.9 MX$1,119

-1.05%

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

$12.50 ฿421

$28.01 MX$506

-55.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿686

$25.48 MX$461

-20.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,277

$34.15 MX$617

11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.75 MX$375

-81.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿222

$7.60 MX$137

-13.16%

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

$774 ฿26.1K

$268 MX$4,844

188.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿486.0K

$5,019 MX$90.7K

187.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,845

$54.5 MX$986

0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿851

$44.92 MX$812

-43.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,049

$102 MX$1,845

-11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,467

$100 MX$1,812

-26.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$608 MX$11.0K

-24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,891

$401 MX$7,250

-26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.9K

$1,037 MX$18.7K

-11.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.6K

$789 MX$14.3K

-30.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.6K

$1,871 MX$33.8K

2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.6K

$1,150 MX$20.8K

25.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.99

-53.54%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $608 in Zamora de Hidalgo. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $311 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Zamora de Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamora de Hidalgo costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,803 in Zamora de Hidalgo. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Zamora de Hidalgo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Zamora de Hidalgo at $1,202. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zamora de Hidalgo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zamora de Hidalgo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.