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 $757 per month in Chimaltenango vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,258 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,758 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chimaltenango is about 13% 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 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 Q 39.10

$1.98 ฿64.3

159.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.02 Q 373

$18.80 ฿612

160.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 Q 47.94

$7.75 ฿252

-18.71%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Q 24.53

$1.92 ฿62.5

67.71%

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

$1.22 Q 9.30

$0.79 ฿25.79

54.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.11

$0.36 ฿11.62

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 Q 25.43

$2.21 ฿72.1

51.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 Q 34.64

$3.66 ฿119

24.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 Q 16.20

$1.65 ฿53.8

29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 Q 23.28

$1.63 ฿53.2

87.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.88

$1.19 ฿38.86

75.63%

Eggs

$2.65 Q 20.18

$2.00 ฿65.1

32.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 Q 59.0

$15.98 ฿520

-51.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 Q 65.2

$3.03 ฿98.5

182.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.04 Q 91.7

$10.86 ฿354

10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 Q 27.91

$2.76 ฿90.0

32.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Q 11.89

$1.18 ฿38.42

32.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 Q 23.36

$1.64 ฿53.5

87.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 Q 13.96

$1.52 ฿49.51

20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.07

$1.38 ฿45.10

24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Q 18.02

$1.19 ฿38.84

99.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.29

$0.70 ฿22.86

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Q 9.09

$0.56 ฿18.13

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 Q 27.98

$4.58 ฿149

-19.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 Q 64.0

$16.56 ฿539

-49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Q 12.72

$1.83 ฿59.5

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 Q 18.30

$3.20 ฿104

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 Q 38.59

$1.36 ฿44.16

272.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 Q 4.83

$1.34 ฿43.65

-52.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.60 Q 119

$7.84 ฿256

98.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 Q 8.12

$1.23 ฿39.92

-13.01%

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

$19.7K Q 150.3K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-8.72%

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

$25.0K Q 190.4K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

10.93%

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

$81.5 Q 621

$70.5 ฿2,298

15.52%

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

$26.20 Q 200

$13.68 ฿445

91.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 Q 365

$17.45 ฿568

174.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 Q 54.1

$5.77 ฿188

23.22%

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

$248 Q 1,892

$307 ฿10.0K

-19.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,899 Q 44.9K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-59.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 Q 383

$55.8 ฿1,817

-9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 Q 404

$26.21 ฿854

102.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 903

$85.8 ฿2,793

38.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 Q 926

$72.2 ฿2,353

68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Chimaltenango versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $241 – 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 15% 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 $1,136 per month in Chimaltenango and $1,303 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 $49.00 in Chimaltenango and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $757 in Chimaltenango and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $757 versus $869 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.