Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villahermosa and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,219 in Villahermosa, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Villahermosa, Mexico
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,219
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Villahermosa and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Villahermosa and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Villahermosa vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Villahermosa $1,219
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,057 per month in Villahermosa vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Villahermosa $2,057
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,895 per month in Villahermosa vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Villahermosa $2,895
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Villahermosa costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Villahermosa and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Villahermosa 10% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.57 MX$198
$2.24 ฿75.6
371.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.43 MX$664
$19.00 ฿641
86.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 MX$198
$5.55 ฿187
90.45%
Cappuccino
$3.38 MX$63.3
$1.67 ฿56.5
102.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.97
$0.64 ฿21.53
92.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 MX$21.94
$0.31 ฿10.30
277.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.84 MX$53.3
$2.36 ฿79.5
20.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 MX$100
$3.66 ฿124
46.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 MX$32.42
$1.95 ฿65.7
-11.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 MX$32.72
$1.44 ฿48.45
21.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 MX$24.60
$1.33 ฿45.01
-1.50%
Eggs
$1.92 MX$35.93
$2.28 ฿77.0
-15.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.45 MX$158
$16.45 ฿555
-48.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.51 MX$197
$2.78 ฿93.8
278.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.38 MX$251
$9.31 ฿314
43.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 MX$63.6
$2.35 ฿79.4
44.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.89
$0.97 ฿32.78
42.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 MX$30.81
$1.60 ฿53.9
2.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.18 MX$22.08
$1.50 ฿50.6
-21.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 MX$30.84
$1.28 ฿43.10
28.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 MX$25.03
$1.10 ฿37.17
21.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 MX$24.64
$0.71 ฿23.81
84.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$0.49 ฿16.36
153.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42 MX$120
$4.14 ฿140
55.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.62 MX$180
$17.52 ฿591
-45.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 MX$50.7
$1.61 ฿54.5
67.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.42 MX$120
$2.78 ฿93.9
130.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.36
$0.87 ฿29.29
-36.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.50 MX$440
$54.1 ฿1,825
-56.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 MX$40.07
$1.16 ฿39.03
84.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 MX$40.70
$0.53 ฿17.79
309.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$203
$2.42 ฿81.7
347.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 MX$25.31
$1.45 ฿48.87
-6.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K MX$428.3K
$21.1K ฿710.3K
8.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K MX$498.2K
$26.9K ฿908.7K
-1.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.4 MX$1,170
$62.2 ฿2,097
0.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.41 MX$532
$12.17 ฿410
133.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.67 MX$612
$20.12 ฿679
62.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.0 MX$937
$37.31 ฿1,259
34.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.32 MX$81.0
$6.49 ฿219
-33.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$303 MX$5,674
$736 ฿24.8K
-58.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,331 MX$81.2K
$14.8K ฿498.0K
-70.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.7 MX$1,195
$53.4 ฿1,800
19.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$24.64 ฿831
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.6 MX$1,417
$91.5 ฿3,086
-17.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.1 MX$1,089
$71.9 ฿2,426
-19.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$476 MX$8,915
$482 ฿16.3K
-1.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 MX$8,266
$309 ฿10.4K
42.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 MX$29.8K
$1,006 ฿33.9K
57.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 MX$21.7K
$633 ฿21.4K
82.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,205 MX$22.6K
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-24.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Villahermosa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Villahermosa: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Villahermosa
$441
Chiang Mai
$309 30% $132
Groceries & Markets
Villahermosa
$277
Chiang Mai
$234 15.3% $42
Eating Out
Villahermosa
$191
Chiang Mai
$78 59.5% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villahermosa
$124
Chiang Mai
$94 23.5% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Villahermosa
$89 *
Chiang Mai
$109 22.3% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Villahermosa
$59
Chiang Mai
$50 14.3% $8.4
Getting Around
Villahermosa
$39
Chiang Mai
$61 58.5% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Villahermosa versus $482 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Villahermosa versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Villahermosa
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
12:26 12:26 PM
01:26 1:26 AM
13 h ahead of Villahermosa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
340,060
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Villahermosa Chiang Mai 15,720 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Villahermosa
  • Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Villahermosa vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Villahermosa or Chiang Mai?
Villahermosa costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Villahermosa and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,828 per month in Villahermosa and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Villahermosa compared to Chiang Mai?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $476 in Villahermosa and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do childcare costs compare in Villahermosa and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Villahermosa and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Villahermosa or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Villahermosa, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Villahermosa or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,219 in Villahermosa and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Villahermosa or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,219 in Villahermosa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Villahermosa vs other spots: cost of living compared

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