Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Colima and in Chiang Mai: $941 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Colima
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Colima Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Colima

🇲🇽 Mexico

$941

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colima and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $941 per month in Colima vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Colima $941
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Colima vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Colima $1,533
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Colima vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Colima $2,125
Chiang Mai $1,979

Colima and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 MX$138

$2.24 ฿75.6

228.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.08 MX$602

$19.00 ฿641

68.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 MX$134

$5.55 ฿187

28.83%

Cappuccino

$2.09 MX$39.23

$1.67 ฿56.5

25.15%

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

$0.97 MX$18.25

$0.64 ฿21.54

51.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.52

$0.31 ฿10.31

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MX$41.26

$2.36 ฿79.5

-6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 MX$46.62

$3.66 ฿124

-32.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.33

$1.95 ฿65.7

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$47.64

$1.44 ฿48.46

76.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 MX$21.37

$1.33 ฿45.03

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.0

$2.28 ฿77.1

21.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 MX$154

$16.45 ฿555

-50.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 MX$156

$2.78 ฿93.9

198.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MX$182

$9.31 ฿314

4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 MX$52.6

$2.35 ฿79.4

19.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$25.42

$0.97 ฿32.79

39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 MX$31.65

$1.60 ฿53.9

5.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.79

$1.50 ฿50.6

41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$43.04

$1.28 ฿43.11

78.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$42.59

$1.10 ฿37.18

106.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$27.52

$0.71 ฿23.82

107.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$20.89

$0.49 ฿16.36

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 MX$70.1

$4.14 ฿140

-9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 MX$119

$17.52 ฿591

-63.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.96

$1.61 ฿54.5

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$32.53

$2.78 ฿93.9

-37.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$12.70

$0.87 ฿29.30

-21.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.57 MX$367

$54.1 ฿1,825

-63.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 MX$46.74

$1.16 ฿39.04

114.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 MX$52.0

$0.53 ฿17.80

422.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.16 MX$172

$2.42 ฿81.7

278.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$25.95

$1.45 ฿48.88

-4.83%

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

$22.1K MX$415.8K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

5.18%

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

$22.0K MX$412.4K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-18.47%

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

$65.5 MX$1,229

$62.2 ฿2,098

5.29%

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

$19.85 MX$373

$12.17 ฿411

63.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.60 MX$537

$20.12 ฿679

42.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.63 MX$650

$37.31 ฿1,259

-7.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$402

$3.77 ฿127

468.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$88.0

$6.49 ฿219

-27.89%

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

$141 MX$2,652

$736 ฿24.8K

-80.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,527 MX$47.4K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-82.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.57 MX$837

$53.4 ฿1,801

-16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.99 MX$469

$24.64 ฿831

1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 MX$1,376

$91.5 ฿3,087

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 MX$1,840

$71.9 ฿2,427

36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 MX$4,825

$482 ฿16.3K

-46.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 MX$4,931

$309 ฿10.4K

-14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MX$6,926

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-63.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 MX$10.8K

$633 ฿21.4K

-9.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 MX$5,261

$590 ฿19.9K

-52.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Colima: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colima

$263 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 17.6% $46

Groceries & Markets

Colima

$245 26%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 4.3% $11

Eating Out

Colima

$129 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 39.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colima

$114 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 17.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Colima

$108 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Colima

$44 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Colima

$39 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 59% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Colima versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Colima versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Colima

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

13 h ahead of Colima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

146,965

127,240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Colima Chiang Mai 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Colima
Chiang Mai

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,412 per month in Colima and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Colima and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Colima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $941 in Colima and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $941 in Colima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.