Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Penasco and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,205 in Puerto Penasco, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
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Puerto Penasco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,205

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,205 per month in Puerto Penasco vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Puerto Penasco $1,205
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,921 per month in Puerto Penasco vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Puerto Penasco $1,921
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,638 per month in Puerto Penasco vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Puerto Penasco $2,638
Chiang Mai $1,903

Puerto Penasco costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Puerto Penasco and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Penasco 11% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.28 MX$227

$2.29 ฿76.5

436.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 MX$814

$19.64 ฿656

124.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 MX$160

$5.61 ฿188

54.19%

Cappuccino

$4.66 MX$86.2

$1.66 ฿55.6

180.72%

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

$1.41 MX$26.04

$0.70 ฿23.40

101.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.09

$0.31 ฿10.24

232.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MX$46.15

$2.41 ฿80.4

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 MX$72.5

$3.71 ฿124

5.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$28.93

$1.95 ฿65.3

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 MX$55.6

$1.41 ฿47.03

113.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$31.83

$1.31 ฿43.62

31.30%

Eggs

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.18 ฿72.9

38.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.78 MX$88.4

$16.65 ฿556

-71.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 MX$198

$2.76 ฿92.2

288.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MX$175

$9.11 ฿304

3.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 MX$79.9

$2.39 ฿80.0

80.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.29

$1.03 ฿34.26

85.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 MX$56.7

$1.63 ฿54.4

88.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$38.82

$1.50 ฿50.0

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.60

$1.29 ฿43.13

49.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.11 ฿37.03

80.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$27.00

$0.72 ฿24.08

102.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.58

$0.53 ฿17.59

192.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$81.1

$4.31 ฿144

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 MX$252

$17.95 ฿600

-24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$28.84

$1.58 ฿52.9

-1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$27.65

$2.84 ฿95.0

-47.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.72

$0.86 ฿28.86

-26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 MX$39.60

$1.21 ฿40.29

76.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 MX$54.7

$0.57 ฿18.99

419.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 MX$202

$2.35 ฿78.6

365.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$25.79

$1.44 ฿47.96

-2.78%

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

$20.9K MX$386.8K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

0.97%

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

$24.4K MX$451.5K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-8.83%

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

$70.4 MX$1,302

$62.3 ฿2,083

13.00%

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

$12.65 MX$234

$12.11 ฿405

4.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.57 MX$787

$19.94 ฿666

113.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.27 MX$615

$37.07 ฿1,239

-10.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 MX$366

$3.78 ฿126

423.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 MX$98.3

$6.50 ฿217

-18.15%

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

$223 MX$4,112

$793 ฿26.5K

-71.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,550 MX$84.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-69.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MX$1,000

$53.7 ฿1,796

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 MX$758

$24.62 ฿823

66.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,852

$90.9 ฿3,036

10.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 MX$1,673

$71.1 ฿2,378

27.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 MX$9,747

$455 ฿15.2K

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 MX$7,161

$298 ฿9,954

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 MX$16.9K

$908 ฿30.4K

0.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MX$14.0K

$554 ฿18.5K

36.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 MX$35.1K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-1.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MX$21.2K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-20.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$583 MX$10.8K

$591 ฿19.7K

-1.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.55

5.57

89.41%

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

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Penasco

$388 32.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 23.1% $90

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Penasco

$289 24%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 18.6% $54

Eating Out

Puerto Penasco

$210 17.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 62.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Penasco

$129 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 15.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Penasco

$126 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 24.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14% $6.2

Getting Around

Puerto Penasco

$19 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 212% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $527 in Puerto Penasco 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 1% 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 $44.00 in Puerto Penasco versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

19:36 7:36 PM

14 h ahead of Puerto Penasco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,756

127,240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Penasco Chiang Mai 13,450 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Penasco
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

Puerto Penasco vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Penasco costs about 30% 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 $1,807 per month in Puerto Penasco 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Puerto Penasco and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Puerto Penasco, 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 $925, than in Puerto Penasco at $1,205. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Penasco it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,205 in Puerto Penasco. 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, Puerto Penasco makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.