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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,094 per month in Villahermosa vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,790 per month in Villahermosa vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,487 per month in Villahermosa vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Villahermosa costs about 25% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Villahermosa and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Villahermosa 19% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 MX$185

$2.01 ฿64.5

428.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.84 MX$605

$18.23 ฿584

91.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 MX$184

$7.65 ฿245

38.82%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MX$54.7

$1.92 ฿61.5

64.06%

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

$1.18 MX$20.43

$0.84 ฿26.97

40.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.17

$0.36 ฿11.42

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 MX$48.78

$2.19 ฿70.2

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 MX$90.2

$3.79 ฿121

37.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.25

$1.64 ฿52.5

-18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 MX$28.36

$1.62 ฿52.0

0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MX$22.37

$1.15 ฿36.98

12.17%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.34

$1.94 ฿62.2

19.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 MX$150

$15.94 ฿511

-45.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 MX$176

$3.10 ฿99.5

226.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 MX$228

$11.07 ฿355

18.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$58.0

$2.71 ฿86.8

23.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$22.65

$1.18 ฿37.80

10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.98

$1.71 ฿54.7

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 MX$20.41

$1.61 ฿51.5

-26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.21

$1.39 ฿44.66

12.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$1.15 ฿36.81

15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 MX$22.29

$0.71 ฿22.83

80.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$19.11

$0.55 ฿17.65

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 MX$88.9

$4.57 ฿146

12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 MX$176

$18.87 ฿605

-46.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MX$45.52

$1.82 ฿58.4

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 MX$109

$3.21 ฿103

95.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.15

$0.88 ฿28.24

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿606

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.42

$1.41 ฿45.30

53.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.66

$1.30 ฿41.71

18.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 MX$140

$8.20 ฿263

-1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.21

$1.23 ฿39.29

4.07%

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

$22.6K MX$393.0K

$21.2K ฿678.9K

6.91%

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

$26.1K MX$452.7K

$22.3K ฿715.3K

16.87%

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

$60.3 MX$1,047

$69.9 ฿2,240

-13.67%

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

$28.49 MX$495

$14.07 ฿451

102.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 MX$506

$17.70 ฿567

64.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.42 MX$771

$41.41 ฿1,328

7.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.97 MX$277

$6.69 ฿215

138.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 MX$63.9

$5.74 ฿184

-35.89%

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

$298 MX$5,165

$299 ฿9,593

-0.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,351 MX$75.5K

$15.0K ฿481.2K

-71.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$994

$54.8 ฿1,758

4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 MX$697

$26.35 ฿845

52.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 MX$1,333

$84.7 ฿2,714

-9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 MX$1,013

$69.7 ฿2,236

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 MX$5,969

$427 ฿13.7K

-19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MX$6,442

$241 ฿7,718

54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 MX$14.4K

$811 ฿26.0K

2.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 MX$14.3K

$498 ฿16.0K

65.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,278 MX$22.2K

$1,524 ฿48.9K

-16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

130.00%

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

Last update for Villahermosa: April 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $344 in Villahermosa versus $427 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 $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $246 – 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

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

Villahermosa costs about 25% 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 $1,641 per month in Villahermosa and $1,308 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 $35.00 in Villahermosa and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Villahermosa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,094 in Villahermosa and $872 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $1,094 in Villahermosa. 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, Villahermosa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.