Comparación del coste de vida entre Tulum y Chiang Mai Comparación del coste de vida entre Tulum y Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,046 per month in Tulum vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,936 per month in Tulum vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,827 per month in Tulum vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tulum costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tulum and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tulum 22% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 MX$181

$1.96 ฿63.6

430.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 MX$892

$18.81 ฿611

172.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$142

$7.92 ฿258

3.03%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.4

$1.91 ฿62.2

93.72%

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

$1.21 MX$21.09

$0.84 ฿27.25

44.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.26

$0.35 ฿11.44

217.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 MX$48.04

$2.21 ฿71.7

24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 MX$69.2

$3.80 ฿124

4.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.93

$1.64 ฿53.2

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.60

$1.62 ฿52.8

-27.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.87

$1.18 ฿38.40

30.51%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.57

$2.01 ฿65.4

-1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.44 MX$94.6

$15.89 ฿517

-65.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 MX$122

$3.01 ฿98.0

132.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 MX$114

$10.77 ฿350

-39.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.63

$2.61 ฿85.0

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.70

$1.22 ฿39.65

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$1.70 ฿55.4

-17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.72

$1.58 ฿51.2

-13.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.85

$1.32 ฿42.89

65.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.94

$1.17 ฿38.01

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.72

$0.67 ฿21.85

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.33

$0.56 ฿18.21

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$4.53 ฿147

-5.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.79 MX$153

$18.20 ฿592

-51.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.83 ฿59.6

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.56

$3.23 ฿105

-59.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 MX$19.36

$0.89 ฿28.83

24.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.88

$1.35 ฿43.95

52.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MX$38.83

$1.35 ฿43.79

65.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MX$89.7

$8.25 ฿268

-37.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.66

$1.27 ฿41.40

2.36%

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

$15.8K MX$274.9K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

-25.33%

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

$21.2K MX$369.2K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

-5.63%

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

$84.2 MX$1,466

$70.2 ฿2,281

20.09%

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

$22.28 MX$388

$13.77 ฿448

61.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 MX$512

$17.60 ฿572

67.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.29 MX$579

$41.57 ฿1,352

-19.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 MX$275

$6.60 ฿215

139.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$81.0

$5.78 ฿188

-19.55%

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

$204 MX$3,544

$306 ฿9,953

-33.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,835 MX$49.3K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-80.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.94 MX$451

$54.4 ฿1,768

-52.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.52 MX$548

$26.14 ฿850

20.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 MX$1,406

$84.5 ฿2,748

-4.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.62 MX$794

$69.4 ฿2,257

-34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 MX$12.2K

$424 ฿13.8K

65.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,905

$238 ฿7,743

66.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 MX$24.9K

$825 ฿26.8K

73.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$515 ฿16.7K

143.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$56.9K

$2,049 ฿66.6K

59.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 MX$32.3K

$1,523 ฿49.5K

21.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$781 MX$13.6K

$635 ฿20.6K

22.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

120.00%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Tulum: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Tulum versus $424 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 23% 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 $51.0 in Tulum versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Tulum vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Tulum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Tulum vs Chiang Mai: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Tulum costs about 23% 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 $1,569 per month in Tulum and $1,278 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 $51.0 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 24% 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 $852, than in Tulum at $1,046. 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 $852 versus $1,046 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.