Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,208 in Cuernavaca, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
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Cuernavaca Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,208

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Cuernavaca vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cuernavaca $1,208
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,788 per month in Cuernavaca vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cuernavaca $1,788
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,368 per month in Cuernavaca vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cuernavaca $2,368
Chiang Mai $1,979

Cuernavaca costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cuernavaca and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cuernavaca 11% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.98 MX$149

$2.24 ฿75.6

256.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.14 MX$696

$19.00 ฿641

95.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 MX$128

$5.55 ฿187

23.06%

Cappuccino

$2.48 MX$46.41

$1.67 ฿56.5

48.50%

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

$1.31 MX$24.52

$0.64 ฿21.53

104.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 MX$11.45

$0.31 ฿10.30

96.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$45.65

$2.36 ฿79.5

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 MX$61.3

$3.66 ฿124

-10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$30.40

$1.95 ฿65.7

-16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 MX$41.41

$1.44 ฿48.45

53.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.58

$1.33 ฿45.01

6.77%

Eggs

$1.89 MX$35.33

$2.28 ฿77.0

-17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 MX$145

$16.45 ฿555

-52.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 MX$90.2

$2.78 ฿93.8

73.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 MX$254

$9.31 ฿314

45.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 MX$41.38

$2.35 ฿79.4

-5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.80

$0.97 ฿32.78

36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.57

$1.60 ฿53.9

38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$31.04

$1.50 ฿50.6

10.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$33.03

$1.28 ฿43.10

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 MX$32.03

$1.10 ฿37.17

55.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$27.97

$0.71 ฿23.81

109.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.55

$0.49 ฿16.36

69.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MX$79.3

$4.14 ฿140

2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 MX$150

$17.52 ฿591

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.69

$1.61 ฿54.5

-24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MX$61.8

$2.78 ฿93.9

18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MX$13.35

$0.87 ฿29.29

-18.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.93 MX$655

$54.1 ฿1,825

-35.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MX$35.72

$1.16 ฿39.03

64.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$46.74

$0.53 ฿17.79

369.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 MX$199

$2.42 ฿81.7

339.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$25.01

$1.45 ฿48.87

-8.28%

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

$24.5K MX$458.2K

$21.1K ฿710.3K

16.12%

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

$23.4K MX$437.8K

$26.9K ฿908.7K

-13.29%

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

$56.4 MX$1,057

$62.2 ฿2,097

-9.31%

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

$18.52 MX$347

$12.17 ฿410

52.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.73 MX$463

$20.12 ฿679

22.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.09 MX$545

$37.31 ฿1,259

-22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 MX$98.1

$6.49 ฿219

-19.26%

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

$218 MX$4,083

$736 ฿24.8K

-70.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,055 MX$94.7K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-65.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.44 MX$758

$53.4 ฿1,800

-24.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.23 MX$604

$24.64 ฿831

30.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 MX$1,733

$91.5 ฿3,086

1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 MX$1,831

$71.9 ฿2,426

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 MX$11.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

28.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 MX$9,910

$309 ฿10.4K

71.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 MX$16.9K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 MX$15.1K

$633 ฿21.4K

26.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$851 MX$15.9K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-64.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$594 MX$11.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-62.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$638 MX$11.9K

$590 ฿19.9K

8.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

5.57

104.67%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuernavaca

$529 43.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 41.6% $220

Groceries & Markets

Cuernavaca

$229 19%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 2.3% $5.3

Eating Out

Cuernavaca

$140 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 44.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Cuernavaca

$118 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 8.2% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuernavaca

$100 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 5.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Cuernavaca

$52 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 17.7% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cuernavaca

$40 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 27.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Cuernavaca 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 run about 8% higher in Cuernavaca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Cuernavaca versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Cuernavaca vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Cuernavaca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

13 h ahead of Cuernavaca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

341,029

127,240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cuernavaca Chiang Mai 15,370 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuernavaca
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

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

Cuernavaca costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,812 per month in Cuernavaca 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $619 in Cuernavaca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Cuernavaca 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 35% less in Cuernavaca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,208 in Cuernavaca 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 $1,208 in Cuernavaca. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuernavaca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.