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 $1,198 per month in Tepic vs $950 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,980 per month in Tepic vs $1,430 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,762 per month in Tepic vs $1,909 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tepic costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.61 MX$247

$2.10 ฿69.0

595.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.08 MX$829

$19.84 ฿653

147.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 MX$163

$5.79 ฿191

66.84%

Cappuccino

$3.48 MX$58.8

$1.83 ฿60.2

90.16%

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

$1.79 MX$30.24

$0.78 ฿25.51

129.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.22

$0.31 ฿10.33

325.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MX$48.81

$2.34 ฿76.9

23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 MX$93.0

$3.70 ฿122

48.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.22

$2.03 ฿66.8

-17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 MX$46.02

$1.60 ฿52.5

70.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.09

$1.42 ฿46.57

21.13%

Eggs

$2.25 MX$37.91

$2.18 ฿71.6

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.25 MX$88.7

$15.91 ฿523

-67.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$173

$3.07 ฿101

233.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 MX$207

$9.87 ฿325

24.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.63 ฿86.4

14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MX$29.98

$1.10 ฿36.05

61.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.21

$1.63 ฿53.6

28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.30

$1.53 ฿50.4

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$36.84

$1.24 ฿40.97

75.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$32.65

$1.13 ฿37.22

70.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$24.88

$0.74 ฿24.29

98.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.05

$0.50 ฿16.42

138.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$81.0

$4.28 ฿141

12.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 MX$192

$17.97 ฿591

-36.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.56

$1.70 ฿55.9

-45.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$60.8

$2.90 ฿95.3

24.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 MX$14.51

$0.94 ฿31.00

-8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,820

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 MX$40.13

$1.23 ฿40.60

93.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 MX$25.32

$0.53 ฿17.59

183.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 MX$215

$2.40 ฿79.0

429.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$25.82

$1.44 ฿47.37

6.25%

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

$23.0K MX$388.1K

$21.2K ฿697.5K

8.45%

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

$26.1K MX$440.9K

$27.3K ฿898.6K

-4.37%

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

$46.23 MX$781

$64.9 ฿2,137

-28.80%

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

$13.37 MX$226

$13.35 ฿439

0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.63 MX$551

$20.83 ฿686

56.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MX$624

$40.42 ฿1,330

-8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 MX$361

$3.95 ฿130

441.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 MX$122

$6.71 ฿221

7.45%

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

$268 MX$4,522

$787 ฿25.9K

-65.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$193.5K

$15.1K ฿497.7K

-24.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MX$1,049

$56.2 ฿1,850

10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 MX$756

$24.95 ฿821

79.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,953

$92.7 ฿3,051

24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,569

$75.1 ฿2,472

23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$11.2K

$484 ฿15.9K

37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 MX$7,059

$287 ฿9,454

45.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 MX$18.6K

$910 ฿29.9K

20.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 MX$14.1K

$531 ฿17.5K

57.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 MX$33.6K

$1,980 ฿65.2K

0.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,244 MX$21.0K

$1,451 ฿47.8K

-14.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MX$12.0K

$605 ฿19.9K

17.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

5.57

109.69%

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

Last update for Tepic: September 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $664 in Tepic versus $484 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 17% 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 $49.00 in Tepic versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 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 26% 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 $1,798 per month in Tepic and $1,426 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 $49.00 in Tepic 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 13% 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 $950, than in Tepic at $1,198. 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 $950 versus $1,198 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.