Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,054 per month in Tepic vs $847 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,681 per month in Tepic vs $1,332 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,309 per month in Tepic vs $1,816 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tepic costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tepic and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tepic 21% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 MX$136

$2.03 ฿68.4

283.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.91 MX$751

$18.71 ฿630

129.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 MX$164

$7.84 ฿264

19.39%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MX$55.0

$1.93 ฿64.9

63.21%

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

$2.07 MX$36.20

$0.83 ฿28.00

149.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 MX$23.99

$0.35 ฿11.80

291.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MX$45.75

$2.22 ฿74.8

18.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$69.8

$3.79 ฿128

5.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.65 ฿55.4

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 MX$41.22

$1.55 ฿52.3

52.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.91

$1.18 ฿39.79

-8.47%

Eggs

$2.12 MX$37.02

$2.01 ฿67.9

5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.80 MX$84.0

$16.16 ฿544

-70.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 MX$233

$3.03 ฿102

339.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.94 MX$121

$10.84 ฿365

-35.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$45.38

$2.68 ฿90.3

-3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.34

$1.22 ฿41.14

23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 MX$61.0

$1.63 ฿54.8

114.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.92

$1.53 ฿51.5

4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.63

$1.34 ฿45.10

43.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.99

$1.21 ฿40.86

70.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MX$24.02

$0.70 ฿23.63

95.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.93

$0.53 ฿17.70

94.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$74.5

$4.69 ฿158

-9.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 MX$197

$17.71 ฿597

-36.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.50

$1.85 ฿62.2

-55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.91

$3.21 ฿108

-50.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.03

$0.89 ฿30.01

-41.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.76 ฿632

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MX$36.49

$1.41 ฿47.40

48.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MX$8.89

$1.29 ฿43.52

-60.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$7.79 ฿262

38.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.29 ฿43.59

2.33%

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

$18.3K MX$320.2K

$21.8K ฿733.4K

-15.90%

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

$19.0K MX$331.5K

$21.7K ฿730.7K

-12.62%

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

$42.54 MX$744

$70.0 ฿2,358

-39.21%

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

$11.98 MX$209

$14.19 ฿478

-15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.32 MX$443

$17.42 ฿587

45.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.01 MX$630

$41.64 ฿1,403

-13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 MX$280

$6.89 ฿232

131.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MX$75.8

$5.78 ฿195

-25.09%

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

$207 MX$3,616

$300 ฿10.1K

-31.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,426 MX$59.9K

$14.5K ฿489.2K

-76.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.06 MX$736

$55.4 ฿1,865

-24.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.81 MX$276

$26.31 ฿886

-39.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 MX$1,149

$84.8 ฿2,858

-22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 MX$1,292

$70.5 ฿2,375

4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,967

$425 ฿14.3K

20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,922

$235 ฿7,919

68.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 MX$16.1K

$802 ฿27.0K

14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.5K

$516 ฿17.4K

49.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,710 MX$29.9K

$1,926 ฿64.9K

-11.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,250 MX$21.9K

$1,451 ฿48.9K

-13.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$694 MX$12.1K

$586 ฿19.8K

18.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

135.00%

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

Last update for Tepic: July 21, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Tepic versus $425 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 18% higher in Tepic, 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 $43.00 in Tepic versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $242 – 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

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

Tepic costs about 24% 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 $1,581 per month in Tepic and $1,271 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 Tepic and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Tepic, 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 $847, than in Tepic at $1,054. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tepic it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $847 versus $1,054 in Tepic. 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, Tepic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.