Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Mochis and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Mochis and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Los Mochis vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,713 per month in Los Mochis vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,349 per month in Los Mochis vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Los Mochis costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Los Mochis and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Los Mochis 19% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 MX$128

$2.04 ฿68.4

260.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.57 MX$411

$18.71 ฿626

25.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 MX$149

$7.86 ฿263

8.91%

Cappuccino

$3.31 MX$57.8

$2.03 ฿67.9

63.05%

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

$0.87 MX$15.11

$0.80 ฿26.71

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MX$10.49

$0.35 ฿11.71

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$39.12

$2.14 ฿71.7

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 MX$70.9

$3.67 ฿123

10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.73 ฿57.8

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.62

$1.57 ฿52.5

66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.13

$1.20 ฿40.10

30.00%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$41.54

$1.97 ฿66.0

20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$16.23 ฿543

-49.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 MX$136

$3.06 ฿102

155.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 MX$187

$10.80 ฿361

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.39

$2.77 ฿92.6

-6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.08

$1.17 ฿39.05

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.43

$1.71 ฿57.1

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.89

$1.59 ฿53.3

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.17

$1.39 ฿46.63

32.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.00

$1.16 ฿38.67

68.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.73

$0.66 ฿22.11

89.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.21

$0.52 ฿17.35

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.9

$4.65 ฿155

-11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 MX$208

$17.78 ฿595

-33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.92

$1.79 ฿59.8

-13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$48.23

$3.34 ฿112

-17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.89

$0.91 ฿30.35

-37.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.69 MX$483

$18.64 ฿624

48.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 MX$45.32

$1.41 ฿47.17

84.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.75

$1.34 ฿44.82

18.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 MX$72.1

$8.11 ฿271

-49.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.44

$1.23 ฿41.27

4.88%

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

$15.1K MX$262.7K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

-29.72%

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

$20.5K MX$357.2K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

-6.14%

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

$56.3 MX$982

$71.3 ฿2,386

-21.10%

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

$29.86 MX$521

$14.01 ฿469

113.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.24 MX$371

$17.93 ฿600

18.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.57 MX$463

$40.82 ฿1,365

-34.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 MX$272

$6.88 ฿230

126.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MX$71.2

$5.72 ฿191

-28.67%

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

$206 MX$3,585

$308 ฿10.3K

-33.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,628 MX$63.3K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-75.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MX$914

$55.8 ฿1,865

-6.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 MX$702

$26.04 ฿871

54.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 MX$1,541

$84.8 ฿2,837

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 MX$1,362

$71.0 ฿2,375

10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MX$9,035

$423 ฿14.2K

22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,812

$242 ฿8,110

61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.6K

$797 ฿26.7K

19.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 MX$13.4K

$507 ฿17.0K

51.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,124 MX$37.0K

$1,918 ฿64.2K

10.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 MX$19.9K

$1,464 ฿49.0K

-21.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$691 MX$12.1K

$595 ฿19.9K

16.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

129.60%

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

Last update for Los Mochis: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Los Mochis versus $423 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 16% higher in Los Mochis, 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 $24.00 in Los Mochis versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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

Los Mochis vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Mochis costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,616 per month in Los Mochis and $1,279 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $206 per month in Los Mochis and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Los Mochis, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Los Mochis at $1,077. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Mochis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,077 in Los Mochis. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Los Mochis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.