Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,201 per month in San Fernando vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,944 per month in San Fernando vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,686 per month in San Fernando vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Fernando costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both San Fernando and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – San Fernando 13% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.10 MX$221

$2.08 ฿68.5

529.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 MX$724

$19.64 ฿646

118.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$133

$5.65 ฿186

39.65%

Cappuccino

$4.13 MX$69.7

$1.81 ฿59.3

128.18%

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

$1.50 MX$25.35

$0.71 ฿23.44

111.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.90

$0.32 ฿10.38

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MX$45.26

$2.24 ฿73.5

19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$83.8

$3.63 ฿119

36.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$29.35

$1.96 ฿64.4

-11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 MX$48.60

$1.50 ฿49.38

92.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.17

$1.34 ฿43.92

20.15%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$44.65

$2.26 ฿74.4

17.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$170

$16.26 ฿534

-38.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 MX$136

$2.95 ฿97.1

172.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 MX$207

$9.94 ฿327

23.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$56.4

$2.57 ฿84.5

29.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.41

$1.06 ฿34.72

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.27

$1.61 ฿53.0

22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.09

$1.52 ฿49.96

9.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$31.84

$1.27 ฿41.76

48.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$32.85

$1.07 ฿35.05

82.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 MX$23.79

$0.72 ฿23.67

95.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$0.51 ฿16.72

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$75.4

$4.19 ฿138

6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 MX$216

$17.87 ฿587

-28.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MX$28.64

$1.69 ฿55.7

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 MX$59.7

$2.84 ฿93.2

24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$13.70

$0.93 ฿30.42

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 MX$46.39

$1.23 ฿40.58

123.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 MX$37.06

$0.58 ฿18.96

279.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 MX$173

$2.42 ฿79.7

324.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$25.61

$1.41 ฿46.42

7.80%

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

$22.6K MX$381.7K

$21.4K ฿704.9K

5.48%

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

$22.6K MX$381.5K

$27.3K ฿898.5K

-17.30%

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

$56.6 MX$955

$63.7 ฿2,093

-11.17%

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

$23.16 MX$391

$12.85 ฿423

80.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.61 MX$618

$20.22 ฿665

81.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.29 MX$562

$38.74 ฿1,274

-14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.12 MX$323

$3.97 ฿130

381.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 MX$99.5

$6.74 ฿221

-12.46%

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

$281 MX$4,746

$778 ฿25.6K

-63.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,378 MX$90.8K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

-63.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$983

$54.3 ฿1,785

7.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 MX$717

$25.45 ฿836

66.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,883

$94.3 ฿3,101

18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 MX$1,659

$73.4 ฿2,414

33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$10.9K

$490 ฿16.1K

31.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 MX$6,280

$289 ฿9,510

28.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 MX$19.5K

$894 ฿29.4K

29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 MX$14.0K

$517 ฿17.0K

60.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,897 MX$32.0K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 MX$18.8K

$1,477 ฿48.5K

-24.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for San Fernando: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $643 in San Fernando versus $490 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in San Fernando versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $240 – 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

San Fernando vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando costs about 27% 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 $1,802 per month in San Fernando and $1,421 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 $43.00 in San Fernando 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 18% more in San Fernando, 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 $947, than in San Fernando at $1,201. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Fernando it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,201 in San Fernando. 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, San Fernando makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.