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 $730 per month in Chimaltenango vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,236 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,742 per month in Chimaltenango vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chimaltenango is about 14% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chimaltenango and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chimaltenango 45% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 Q 39.35

$2.04 ฿68.2

152.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 Q 381

$18.71 ฿624

167.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 Q 49.70

$7.86 ฿262

-17.05%

Cappuccino

$3.35 Q 25.52

$2.03 ฿67.7

65.02%

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

$1.22 Q 9.30

$0.80 ฿26.64

52.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 Q 7.58

$0.35 ฿11.68

182.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 Q 25.31

$2.14 ฿71.5

55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 Q 35.54

$3.67 ฿122

26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 Q 15.69

$1.73 ฿57.6

19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 Q 23.30

$1.57 ฿52.4

94.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 Q 15.57

$1.20 ฿39.99

70.00%

Eggs

$2.65 Q 20.19

$1.97 ฿65.8

34.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 Q 60.3

$16.23 ฿541

-51.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 Q 62.3

$3.06 ฿102

166.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 Q 89.8

$10.80 ฿360

8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Q 28.15

$2.77 ฿92.3

33.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Q 12.01

$1.17 ฿38.94

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 Q 24.34

$1.71 ฿57.0

86.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 Q 13.56

$1.59 ฿53.2

11.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Q 13.55

$1.39 ฿46.51

28.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Q 18.07

$1.16 ฿38.56

104.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 Q 5.30

$0.66 ฿22.05

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 Q 9.01

$0.52 ฿17.31

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 Q 28.42

$4.65 ฿155

-19.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 Q 61.3

$17.78 ฿593

-54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Q 12.75

$1.79 ฿59.6

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 Q 18.83

$3.34 ฿111

-26.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 Q 38.97

$1.41 ฿47.04

262.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 Q 4.88

$1.34 ฿44.70

-52.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.51 Q 118

$8.11 ฿270

91.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.43

$1.23 ฿41.16

-9.76%

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

$19.7K Q 150.2K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

-8.12%

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

$24.4K Q 185.8K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

11.64%

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

$81.0 Q 617

$71.3 ฿2,379

13.51%

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

$25.86 Q 197

$14.01 ฿467

84.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.90 Q 373

$17.93 ฿598

172.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 Q 53.8

$5.72 ฿191

23.43%

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

$245 Q 1,871

$308 ฿10.3K

-20.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,736 Q 43.7K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-60.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 Q 384

$55.8 ฿1,860

-9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 Q 410

$26.04 ฿869

106.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Q 882

$84.8 ฿2,829

36.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 Q 932

$71.0 ฿2,368

72.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Chimaltenango versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 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 17% 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 $1,095 per month in Chimaltenango and $1,279 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 $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 13% 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 $730 in Chimaltenango and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $730 versus $852 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.