Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zaragoza, El Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $635 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Zaragoza $635

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,036 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Zaragoza $1,036

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,437 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Zaragoza $1,437

Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Zaragoza are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Zaragoza 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.95 $6.95

-67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$29.51 $29.51

-35.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.96 $6.96

-20.26%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.54 $1.54

8.44%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.11 $1.11

-42.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.81 $0.81

-61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.24 $1.24

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.12 $2.12

72.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.78 $1.78

9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.27 $2.27

-36.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.97 $0.97

37.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.50 $2.50

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.49 $7.49

119.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.92 $3.92

-29.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.36 $5.36

73.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.99 $3.99

-41.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.42 $1.42

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.58 $2.58

-37.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.14 $2.14

-29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.96 $2.96

-56.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.82 $1.82

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.96 $0.96

-26.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.79 $0.79

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.77 $3.77

9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.20 $8.20

113.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.60 $1.60

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.21 $2.21

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.48 $1.48

-41.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$4.90 $4.90

-76.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.93 $2.93

-81.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$20.10 $20.10

-87.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.12 $1.12

29.46%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$24.8K $24.8K

-14.99%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$24.6K $24.6K

9.37%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$46.09 $46.09

34.89%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$21.21 $21.21

-42.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$35.34 $35.34

-43.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$34.94 $34.94

6.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.03 $5.03

29.03%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$150 $150

389.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,759 $4,759

210.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$67.3 $67.3

-20.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$46.68 $46.68

-47.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$112 $112

-17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$69.5 $69.5

3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Zaragoza

$217 34.1% 7.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 22.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Zaragoza

$103 16.2% 8.7% $8.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Zaragoza

$113 17.8% 45.6% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zaragoza

$25 * 4% 58.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 10.5% $5.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in Zaragoza. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $217 in Zaragoza – so Zaragoza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

10:09 10:09 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

11,749

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zaragoza 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Zaragoza, 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 $953 in Zaragoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $30 in Zaragoza. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaragoza, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Zaragoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $635 in Zaragoza to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.