Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,623 in San Pedro, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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San Pedro

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,623

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,623 per month in San Pedro vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro $1,623
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,725 per month in San Pedro vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro $2,725
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,828 per month in San Pedro vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro $3,828
Chiang Mai $1,914

San Pedro costs about 73% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Pedro sits 20% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.42 BZD 18.84

$2.26 ฿75.4

316.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.94 BZD 59.9

$19.18 ฿641

56.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$3.07 BZD 6.13

$1.72 ฿57.6

78.49%

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

$1.33 BZD 2.66

$0.64 ฿21.54

107.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 BZD 2.98

$0.33 ฿11.18

351.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 BZD 5.93

$2.36 ฿78.7

25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 BZD 8.11

$3.90 ฿130

3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$5.09 BZD 10.18

$2.05 ฿68.6

148.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 BZD 4.91

$1.40 ฿46.70

75.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.62 BZD 11.23

$1.28 ฿42.89

339.06%

Eggs

$1.87 BZD 3.73

$2.25 ฿75.3

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 BZD 23.11

$16.94 ฿566

-31.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 BZD 25.90

$2.74 ฿91.6

372.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 BZD 21.31

$9.36 ฿313

13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$14.23 BZD 28.47

$2.40 ฿80.3

492.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 BZD 2.17

$1.01 ฿33.92

7.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$7.72 BZD 15.44

$1.52 ฿50.7

407.89%

Potato (1kg)

$6.75 BZD 13.49

$1.28 ฿42.90

427.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 BZD 7.40

$1.11 ฿37.22

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 BZD 2.56

$0.72 ฿24.09

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 BZD 3.81

$0.52 ฿17.54

265.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$23.93 BZD 47.87

$17.73 ฿593

34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.77 BZD 7.54

$1.63 ฿54.4

131.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 BZD 8.00

$2.85 ฿95.3

40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.01 BZD 10.03

$0.57 ฿19.00

778.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 BZD 3.27

$1.45 ฿48.32

12.41%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$177 BZD 355

$62.3 ฿2,083

184.39%

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.47 BZD 59.0

$37.91 ฿1,267

-22.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 BZD 1,984

$464 ฿15.5K

113.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 BZD 1,522

$305 ฿10.2K

149.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,768 BZD 5,537

$915 ฿30.6K

202.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 BZD 3,997

$552 ฿18.5K

261.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,724 BZD 5,450

$1,912 ฿63.9K

42.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 BZD 3,291

$1,438 ฿48.1K

14.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for San Pedro: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $992 in San Pedro versus $464 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 $30.00 in San Pedro versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇿 San Pedro

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

13:02 1:02 PM

13 h ahead of San Pedro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,456

127,240

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Pedro Chiang Mai 15,860 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro
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

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

San Pedro costs about 73% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,434 per month in San Pedro and $1,408 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,623 in San Pedro and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 73%.

Groceries cost about 103% more in San Pedro, 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 $938, than in San Pedro at $1,623. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,623 in San Pedro. 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 Pedro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.