Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro Sula and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,221 in San Pedro Sula, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro Sula
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San Pedro Sula Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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San Pedro Sula

🇭🇳 Honduras

$1,221

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,221 per month in San Pedro Sula vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro Sula $1,221
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,818 per month in San Pedro Sula vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro Sula $1,818
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,414 per month in San Pedro Sula vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro Sula $2,414
Chiang Mai $1,914

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

Both San Pedro Sula and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – San Pedro Sula 10% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 HNL 200

$2.26 ฿75.4

228.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.86 HNL 910

$19.18 ฿641

76.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 HNL 252

$5.59 ฿187

67.44%

Cappuccino

$2.34 HNL 62.9

$1.72 ฿57.6

36.05%

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

$1.06 HNL 28.52

$0.64 ฿21.54

65.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 HNL 20.90

$0.33 ฿11.18

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 HNL 49.68

$2.36 ฿78.7

-21.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 HNL 97.3

$3.90 ฿130

-7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 HNL 41.10

$2.05 ฿68.6

-25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 HNL 54.6

$1.40 ฿46.70

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 HNL 43.56

$1.28 ฿42.89

26.56%

Eggs

$2.35 HNL 63.0

$2.25 ฿75.3

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 HNL 238

$16.94 ฿566

-47.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 HNL 179

$2.74 ฿91.6

143.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 HNL 248

$9.36 ฿313

-1.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 HNL 93.7

$2.40 ฿80.3

45.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 HNL 34.12

$1.01 ฿33.92

25.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 HNL 86.0

$1.61 ฿53.9

98.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 HNL 46.31

$1.52 ฿50.7

13.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 HNL 65.4

$1.28 ฿42.90

89.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 HNL 63.0

$1.11 ฿37.22

111.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 HNL 38.37

$0.72 ฿24.09

98.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 HNL 44.45

$0.52 ฿17.54

217.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 HNL 81.8

$4.33 ฿145

-29.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 HNL 347

$17.73 ฿593

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 HNL 22.99

$1.63 ฿54.4

-47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 HNL 37.44

$2.85 ฿95.3

-51.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 HNL 17.07

$0.85 ฿28.31

-24.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.87 HNL 963

$53.9 ฿1,801

-33.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 HNL 73.3

$1.17 ฿39.18

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 HNL 49.63

$0.57 ฿19.00

224.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.07 HNL 297

$2.37 ฿79.2

367.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 HNL 25.03

$1.45 ฿48.32

-35.86%

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

$23.0K HNL 617.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

12.18%

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

$24.4K HNL 655.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-7.92%

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

$129 HNL 3,478

$62.3 ฿2,083

107.75%

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

$11.29 HNL 303

$12.27 ฿410

-7.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.72 HNL 1,174

$19.97 ฿668

118.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.53 HNL 1,008

$37.91 ฿1,267

-1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 HNL 378

$3.76 ฿126

274.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 HNL 155

$6.71 ฿224

-14.16%

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

$148 HNL 3,971

$797 ฿26.6K

-81.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,203 HNL 86.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-78.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 HNL 1,965

$53.3 ฿1,780

37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 HNL 1,072

$25.05 ฿837

59.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 HNL 2,107

$91.6 ฿3,062

-14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 HNL 2,013

$73.5 ฿2,455

2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 HNL 15.3K

$464 ฿15.5K

22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 HNL 11.3K

$305 ฿10.2K

38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 HNL 22.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-10.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 HNL 19.0K

$552 ฿18.5K

27.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$992 HNL 26.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-48.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$426 HNL 11.4K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-70.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 HNL 16.3K

$595 ฿19.9K

2.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.33

5.57

121.36%

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

Last update for San Pedro Sula: 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 Sula

$421 34.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 27.7% $117

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro Sula

$256 21%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro Sula

$185 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 48.7% $90

Eating Out

San Pedro Sula

$139 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 43.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro Sula

$120 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 8.7% $10

Getting Around

San Pedro Sula

$50 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 21.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro Sula

$49 4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 4.7% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in San Pedro Sula 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.

Salaries run about 2% higher in San Pedro Sula, 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 $34.00 in San Pedro Sula versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇳 San Pedro Sula

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

17:26 5:26 PM

13 h ahead of San Pedro Sula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

719,064

127,240

💱 Currency

Honduran Lempira HNL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.31 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to HNL – Honduran Lempira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇳 Honduran Lempira (L)

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.2 HNL (100 HNL = 3.31 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to HNL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Pedro Sula Chiang Mai 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Pedro Sula 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 $1,831 per month in San Pedro Sula 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.

Kindergarten costs $148 per month in San Pedro Sula and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in San Pedro Sula, 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 Sula at $1,221. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro Sula it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,221 in San Pedro Sula. 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 Sula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.