Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,619 in Ilopango, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Ilopango vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ilopango $1,619
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,863 per month in Ilopango vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ilopango $1,863
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,107 per month in Ilopango vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ilopango $2,107
Chiang Mai $1,903

Ilopango costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Ilopango sits 19% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 $3.23

$2.29 ฿77.2

41.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 $44.80

$19.64 ฿663

128.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.61 ฿189

-11.41%

Cappuccino

$2.96 $2.96

$1.66 ฿56.1

78.31%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$0.70 ฿23.61

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.31 ฿10.33

219.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.41 ฿81.1

-61.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.71 ฿125

-52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.95 ฿65.9

64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.41 ฿47.47

5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.31 ฿44.03

133.59%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$2.18 ฿73.6

35.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$16.65 ฿562

-70.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.76 ฿93.0

114.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$9.11 ฿307

11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.39 ฿80.7

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.03 ฿34.58

89.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.63 ฿54.9

19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.50 ฿50.5

36.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.29 ฿43.53

56.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.11 ฿37.37

83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.72 ฿24.30

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.53 ฿17.76

94.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.31 ฿145

-9.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 $11.84

$17.95 ฿605

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.58 ฿53.4

-37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.84 ฿95.9

-27.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.86 ฿29.13

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 $35.26

$53.3 ฿1,797

-33.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 $6.86

$1.21 ฿40.66

466.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.57 ฿19.16

289.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.35 ฿79.4

98.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.44 ฿48.40

-52.78%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$20.7K ฿699.2K

-4.34%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.8K ฿904.0K

-5.47%

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

$35.69 $35.69

$62.3 ฿2,102

-42.74%

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

$9.91 $9.91

$12.11 ฿408

-18.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$19.94 ฿673

104.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 $40.29

$37.07 ฿1,250

8.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 $10.07

$3.78 ฿127

166.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$6.50 ฿219

-20.92%

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

$103 $103

$793 ฿26.7K

-86.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,882 $1,882

$14.8K ฿499.5K

-87.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.18 $20.18

$53.7 ฿1,813

-62.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$24.62 ฿831

22.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 $74.3

$90.9 ฿3,064

-18.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 $59.0

$71.1 ฿2,400

-17.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

$455 ฿15.4K

47.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$298 ฿10.0K

236.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 $592

$908 ฿30.6K

-34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 $619

$554 ฿18.7K

11.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,689 $1,689

$1,931 ฿65.1K

-12.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$953 $953

$1,445 ฿48.7K

-34.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 $1,010

$591 ฿19.9K

70.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilopango

$1K 61.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 70.3% $704

Groceries & Markets

Ilopango

$249 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 5.6% $14

Eating Out

Ilopango

$92 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 14.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilopango

$86 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 9.4% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ilopango

$83 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 30.9% $26

Getting Around

Ilopango

$57 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 7.2% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ilopango

$51 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $672 in Ilopango versus $455 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 71% higher in Ilopango, 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 $45 in Ilopango versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

17:31 5:31 PM

13 h ahead of Ilopango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,890

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.84 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ilopango Chiang Mai 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilopango
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

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

Ilopango costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,429 per month in Ilopango and $1,388 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 $455 there versus $672 in Ilopango.

Kindergarten costs $103 per month in Ilopango and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Ilopango, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,619 in Ilopango and $925 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 $925 in Chiang Mai to $1,619 in Ilopango. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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