Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irapuato and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,325 in Irapuato, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Irapuato
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Irapuato Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Irapuato

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,325

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,325 per month in Irapuato vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Irapuato $1,325
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,071 per month in Irapuato vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Irapuato $2,071
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,816 per month in Irapuato vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Irapuato $2,816
Chiang Mai $1,999

Irapuato costs about 42% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Irapuato and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Irapuato 2% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 MX$204

$2.13 ฿71.6

411.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.68 MX$892

$18.62 ฿624

156.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 MX$194

$5.60 ฿188

85.36%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$72.3

$1.66 ฿55.8

133.13%

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

$1.59 MX$29.76

$0.65 ฿21.69

144.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.50

$0.30 ฿10.22

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$2.32 ฿77.9

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 MX$102

$3.67 ฿123

48.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MX$32.74

$2.02 ฿67.6

-13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 MX$55.1

$1.41 ฿47.21

109.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.75

$1.39 ฿46.67

45.32%

Eggs

$2.76 MX$51.6

$2.37 ฿79.4

16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 MX$212

$16.52 ฿554

-31.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 MX$182

$2.67 ฿89.5

264.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.38 MX$288

$9.02 ฿302

70.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 MX$60.0

$2.40 ฿80.4

33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$1.04 ฿34.91

95.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.99

$1.66 ฿55.6

19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.17

$1.56 ฿52.3

48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.11

$1.24 ฿41.50

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.83

$1.09 ฿36.44

70.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$0.76 ฿25.54

94.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.61

$0.51 ฿17.24

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 MX$96.1

$4.12 ฿138

24.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.07 MX$301

$17.93 ฿601

-10.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$36.87

$1.62 ฿54.4

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MX$80.3

$2.82 ฿94.6

52.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.76

$0.93 ฿31.33

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.39 MX$568

$52.9 ฿1,773

-42.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$34.53

$1.18 ฿39.45

56.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.81

$0.17 ฿5.75

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$101

$1.81 ฿60.8

199.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$23.62

$1.47 ฿49.38

-14.29%

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

$21.3K MX$398.5K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

1.40%

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

$24.3K MX$454.1K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

-8.44%

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

$62.4 MX$1,166

$62.6 ฿2,098

-0.34%

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

$26.98 MX$505

$11.60 ฿389

132.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 MX$661

$20.30 ฿681

73.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.21 MX$603

$37.88 ฿1,270

-14.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 MX$370

$3.70 ฿124

434.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 MX$120

$6.51 ฿218

-1.23%

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

$428 MX$8,013

$727 ฿24.4K

-41.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,607 MX$86.2K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-72.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 MX$1,278

$53.5 ฿1,795

27.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 MX$1,002

$24.80 ฿832

116.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,989

$90.4 ฿3,031

17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$72.0 ฿2,413

62.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 MX$11.2K

$481 ฿16.1K

24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MX$8,156

$310 ฿10.4K

40.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$19.1K

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-3.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 MX$14.0K

$659 ฿22.1K

14.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 MX$35.3K

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-21.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,141 MX$21.3K

$1,609 ฿53.9K

-29.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$356 MX$6,661

$595 ฿19.9K

-40.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.57

103.77%

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

Last update for Irapuato: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irapuato

$436 32.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 28.9% $126

Groceries & Markets

Irapuato

$324 24.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 26.9% $87

Eating Out

Irapuato

$203 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 62.2% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Irapuato

$155 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 30.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irapuato

$125 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Irapuato

$45 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 12.9% $5.8

Getting Around

Irapuato

$37 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 56.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $601 in Irapuato versus $481 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 67% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Irapuato versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Irapuato

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

13 h ahead of Irapuato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

452,090

127,240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Irapuato Chiang Mai 15,100 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Irapuato
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

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

Irapuato costs about 42% 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 $1,988 per month in Irapuato 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 $481 there versus $601 in Irapuato.

Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Irapuato and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Irapuato, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,325 in Irapuato and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,325 in Irapuato. 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.