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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Tulum vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,905 per month in Tulum vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,748 per month in Tulum vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tulum costs about 22% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tulum and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tulum 21% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$1.98 ฿64.3

443.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.52 MX$850

$18.80 ฿612

163.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$135

$7.75 ฿252

1.81%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.5

$1.92 ฿62.5

92.71%

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

$1.21 MX$20.72

$0.79 ฿25.79

53.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$0.36 ฿11.62

194.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$48.04

$2.21 ฿72.1

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$69.4

$3.66 ฿119

10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.91

$1.65 ฿53.8

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 MX$19.66

$1.63 ฿53.2

-29.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.66

$1.19 ฿38.86

25.21%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.20

$2.00 ฿65.1

-3.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 MX$92.1

$15.98 ฿520

-66.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 MX$122

$3.03 ฿98.5

134.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 MX$106

$10.86 ฿354

-43.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.35

$2.76 ฿90.0

-25.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.39

$1.18 ฿38.42

15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.35

$1.64 ฿53.5

-13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.10

$1.52 ฿49.51

-7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.27

$1.38 ฿45.10

57.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.51

$1.19 ฿38.84

58.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.42

$0.70 ฿22.86

52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.56 ฿18.13

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.3

$4.58 ฿149

-10.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 MX$146

$16.56 ฿539

-48.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$23.23

$1.83 ฿59.5

-26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.41

$3.20 ฿104

-60.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.14

$0.88 ฿28.56

32.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.08

$1.36 ฿44.16

58.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 MX$38.10

$1.34 ฿43.65

65.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 MX$91.8

$7.84 ฿256

-31.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.58

$1.23 ฿39.92

7.32%

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

$16.0K MX$273.8K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-26.22%

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

$21.3K MX$365.8K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-5.48%

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

$83.7 MX$1,436

$70.5 ฿2,298

18.61%

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

$22.27 MX$382

$13.68 ฿445

62.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MX$507

$17.45 ฿568

69.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 MX$557

$41.33 ฿1,346

-21.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 MX$276

$6.96 ฿227

130.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$81.4

$5.77 ฿188

-17.85%

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

$203 MX$3,479

$307 ฿10.0K

-33.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,841 MX$48.8K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-80.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 MX$462

$55.8 ฿1,817

-51.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 MX$550

$26.21 ฿854

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MX$1,383

$85.8 ฿2,793

-6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.12 MX$774

$72.2 ฿2,353

-37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.2K

$430 ฿14.0K

65.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$239 ฿7,774

63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MX$24.8K

$817 ฿26.6K

76.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 MX$20.9K

$511 ฿16.6K

138.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,272 MX$56.2K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

65.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,899 MX$32.6K

$1,484 ฿48.3K

27.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.4K

$619 ฿20.2K

26.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

120.00%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $712 in Tulum 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 27% higher in Tulum, 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 $50.0 in Tulum versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Tulum vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Tulum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Tulum costs about 22% 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 $1,592 per month in Tulum 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 $50.0 in Tulum and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Tulum – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Tulum at $1,061. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tulum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $1,061 in Tulum. 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, Tulum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.