Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,304 in Tampico, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Tampico
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Tampico Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tampico

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,304

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,304 per month in Tampico vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tampico $1,304
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,065 per month in Tampico vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tampico $2,065
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,825 per month in Tampico vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tampico $2,825
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tampico costs about 39% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tampico and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tampico 4% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.28 MX$156

$2.24 ฿75.6

269.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 MX$1,015

$19.00 ฿641

184.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 MX$180

$5.55 ฿187

72.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 MX$55.8

$1.67 ฿56.5

77.84%

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

$1.19 MX$22.43

$0.64 ฿21.55

85.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.83

$0.31 ฿10.31

170.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MX$83.3

$2.36 ฿79.6

87.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 MX$90.1

$3.66 ฿124

30.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$27.29

$1.95 ฿65.8

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.98 MX$74.9

$1.44 ฿48.48

176.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.84

$1.33 ฿45.04

3.01%

Eggs

$3.98 MX$74.8

$2.28 ฿77.1

74.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 MX$92.9

$16.45 ฿555

-69.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 MX$183

$2.78 ฿93.9

251.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 MX$242

$9.31 ฿314

38.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 MX$64.0

$2.35 ฿79.4

45.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 MX$20.60

$0.97 ฿32.80

13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.72

$1.60 ฿53.9

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$40.96

$1.50 ฿50.6

45.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.31

$1.28 ฿43.12

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 MX$50.5

$1.10 ฿37.19

144.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 MX$39.16

$0.71 ฿23.82

192.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$16.29

$0.49 ฿16.37

77.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 MX$87.9

$4.14 ฿140

13.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 MX$28.72

$1.61 ฿54.5

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$14.06

$0.87 ฿29.31

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.24 MX$512

$54.1 ฿1,826

-49.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$49.76

$1.16 ฿39.06

128.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 MX$50.3

$0.53 ฿17.80

405.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 MX$95.8

$2.42 ฿81.8

110.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$25.97

$1.45 ฿48.90

-4.83%

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

$32.1K MX$602.9K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

52.32%

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

$23.9K MX$449.4K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-11.24%

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

$102 MX$1,916

$62.2 ฿2,098

64.00%

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

$27.25 MX$512

$12.17 ฿411

123.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.53 MX$442

$20.12 ฿679

16.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.28 MX$813

$37.31 ฿1,259

16.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 MX$306

$3.77 ฿127

331.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 MX$102

$6.49 ฿219

-16.64%

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

$269 MX$5,060

$736 ฿24.8K

-63.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,934 MX$149.1K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-46.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 MX$1,380

$53.4 ฿1,801

37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 MX$1,238

$24.64 ฿831

167.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 MX$3,017

$91.5 ฿3,087

75.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$239 MX$4,493

$71.9 ฿2,428

232.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 MX$9,546

$482 ฿16.3K

5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 MX$7,136

$309 ฿10.4K

22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MX$17.5K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-7.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 MX$12.4K

$633 ฿21.4K

4.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$539 MX$10.1K

$590 ฿19.9K

-8.56%

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 Tampico: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tampico

$380 29.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 18.6% $71

Groceries & Markets

Tampico

$258 * 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 9.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Tampico

$243 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 55.2% $134

Eating Out

Tampico

$171 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 54.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tampico

$153 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 38.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Tampico

$54 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7% $3.8

Getting Around

Tampico

$46 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 32.7% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $508 in Tampico versus $482 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 9% 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 $54 in Tampico versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tampico

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

15:12 3:12 PM

13 h ahead of Tampico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,562

127,240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tampico Chiang Mai 15,100 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Tampico
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

Tampico vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampico costs about 39% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,956 per month in Tampico and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $508 in Tampico and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $269 per month in Tampico and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Tampico, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,304 in Tampico and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,304 in Tampico. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.