Cost of Living Comparison Between Chimaltenango and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Chimaltenango and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $754 per month in Chimaltenango vs $857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,226 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,334 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,699 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,811 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chimaltenango is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chimaltenango and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chimaltenango 44% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 Q 40.92

$1.96 ฿63.2

173.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.89 Q 381

$18.46 ฿595

170.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 Q 49.44

$7.59 ฿245

-14.62%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Q 24.57

$1.96 ฿63.1

64.29%

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

$1.18 Q 9.01

$0.79 ฿25.60

49.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 Q 7.39

$0.33 ฿10.61

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 Q 24.53

$2.19 ฿70.7

47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 Q 35.23

$3.63 ฿117

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 Q 15.98

$1.72 ฿55.6

21.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 Q 23.34

$1.61 ฿51.9

90.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 Q 15.88

$1.16 ฿37.36

79.31%

Eggs

$2.61 Q 19.93

$1.94 ฿62.5

34.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$15.87 ฿512

-49.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 Q 64.1

$3.07 ฿99.0

173.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 Q 89.9

$11.01 ฿355

6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Q 27.76

$2.76 ฿88.9

31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.59

$1.16 ฿37.56

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 Q 23.45

$1.66 ฿53.4

84.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 Q 13.57

$1.59 ฿51.2

11.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.52

$1.38 ฿44.52

28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Q 17.56

$1.15 ฿37.02

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 Q 5.41

$0.66 ฿21.26

7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 Q 8.98

$0.52 ฿16.66

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 Q 28.49

$4.67 ฿151

-20.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 Q 62.9

$18.13 ฿585

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 Q 12.41

$1.76 ฿56.9

-7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 Q 19.01

$3.27 ฿106

-23.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿30.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.09 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 Q 39.35

$1.43 ฿46.07

260.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 Q 4.62

$1.30 ฿42.00

-53.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.83 Q 121

$8.13 ฿262

94.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.24

$1.25 ฿40.29

-13.60%

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

$19.7K Q 150.4K

$21.8K ฿702.6K

-9.54%

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

$24.4K Q 186.1K

$22.0K ฿710.1K

10.77%

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

$81.4 Q 621

$69.3 ฿2,235

17.47%

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

$26.10 Q 199

$14.15 ฿456

84.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.22 Q 376

$17.70 ฿571

178.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 ฿1,354

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 ฿222

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 Q 53.6

$5.81 ฿187

21.00%

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

$243 Q 1,850

$306 ฿9,876

-20.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,842 Q 44.6K

$14.5K ฿468.6K

-59.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 Q 386

$54.4 ฿1,754

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 Q 402

$26.40 ฿852

99.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Q 888

$83.9 ฿2,704

38.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 Q 943

$70.1 ฿2,262

76.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,706

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 ฿26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ฿16.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,013 ฿64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 ฿47.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

78.00%

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

Last update for Chimaltenango: May 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Chimaltenango versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $244 – 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

Chimaltenango vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Chimaltenango, 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 $1,131 per month in Chimaltenango and $1,285 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Chimaltenango and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chimaltenango, where all-in costs run around $754, than in Chiang Mai at $857. In Chimaltenango 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. Chimaltenango costs $754 versus $857 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 Chimaltenango. 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.