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 $1,015 per month in Tepic vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Tepic vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,288 per month in Tepic vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tepic costs about 17% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tepic and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tepic 24% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 MX$140

$1.98 ฿64.9

303.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 MX$734

$18.80 ฿618

123.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 MX$158

$7.75 ฿255

16.52%

Cappuccino

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.92 ฿63.1

67.19%

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

$2.03 MX$35.50

$0.79 ฿26.03

156.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$24.09

$0.36 ฿11.72

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MX$45.43

$2.21 ฿72.8

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 MX$68.8

$3.66 ฿120

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.07

$1.65 ฿54.3

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 MX$40.80

$1.63 ฿53.6

43.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 MX$17.98

$1.19 ฿39.22

-13.45%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$35.47

$2.00 ฿65.7

1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 MX$82.7

$15.98 ฿525

-70.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 MX$230

$3.03 ฿99.4

334.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MX$118

$10.86 ฿357

-37.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.61

$2.76 ฿90.8

-5.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.29

$1.18 ฿38.77

27.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 MX$59.4

$1.64 ฿54.0

107.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.71

$1.52 ฿49.97

4.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.83

$1.38 ฿45.52

31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.74

$1.19 ฿39.19

67.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.35

$0.70 ฿23.08

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.73

$0.56 ฿18.30

80.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.58 ฿150

-6.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 MX$193

$16.56 ฿544

-33.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.44

$1.83 ฿60.1

-57.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$28.02

$3.20 ฿105

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.85

$0.88 ฿28.83

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿615

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.36 ฿44.57

60.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MX$8.81

$1.34 ฿44.05

-62.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$7.84 ฿258

37.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.03

$1.23 ฿40.29

2.44%

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

$18.5K MX$322.9K

$21.6K ฿710.8K

-14.50%

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

$18.4K MX$322.0K

$22.5K ฿741.1K

-18.24%

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

$41.95 MX$733

$70.5 ฿2,319

-40.53%

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

$11.76 MX$205

$13.68 ฿450

-14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.28 MX$442

$17.45 ฿574

44.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 MX$636

$41.33 ฿1,359

-11.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$274

$6.96 ฿229

125.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 MX$74.5

$5.77 ฿190

-26.00%

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

$210 MX$3,666

$307 ฿10.1K

-31.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 MX$60.9K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

-76.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.51 MX$743

$55.8 ฿1,834

-23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.14 MX$282

$26.21 ฿861

-38.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 MX$1,158

$85.8 ฿2,819

-22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 MX$1,310

$72.2 ฿2,375

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 MX$8,855

$430 ฿14.1K

17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$7,032

$239 ฿7,845

68.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.4K

$817 ฿26.9K

14.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.4K

$511 ฿16.8K

50.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$1,983 ฿65.2K

6.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,268 MX$22.1K

$1,484 ฿48.8K

-14.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 MX$12.0K

$619 ฿20.3K

11.26%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $507 in Tepic versus $430 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 11% 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 $42.00 in Tepic versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $241 – 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 17% 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 $1,523 per month in Tepic and $1,303 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 $42.00 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 4% 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 $869, than in Tepic at $1,015. 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 $869 versus $1,015 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.