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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Zacapoaxtla vs $950 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,718 per month in Zacapoaxtla vs $1,430 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,387 per month in Zacapoaxtla vs $1,909 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zacapoaxtla costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Zacapoaxtla and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zacapoaxtla 24% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 MX$86.8

$2.10 ฿69.0

144.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$879

$19.84 ฿653

162.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 MX$99.6

$5.79 ฿191

1.90%

Cappuccino

$2.10 MX$35.44

$1.83 ฿60.2

14.75%

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

$1.02 MX$17.21

$0.78 ฿25.51

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.23

$0.31 ฿10.33

345.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 MX$21.96

$2.34 ฿76.9

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MX$40.00

$3.70 ฿122

-35.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.31

$2.03 ฿66.8

-32.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MX$21.61

$1.60 ฿52.5

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MX$20.45

$1.42 ฿46.57

-14.79%

Eggs

$1.83 MX$30.87

$2.18 ฿71.6

-16.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.85 MX$217

$15.91 ฿523

-19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 MX$84.8

$3.07 ฿101

63.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 MX$90.0

$9.87 ฿325

-46.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MX$28.86

$2.63 ฿86.4

-34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$23.53

$1.10 ฿36.05

26.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 MX$10.16

$1.63 ฿53.6

-63.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 MX$13.19

$1.53 ฿50.4

-49.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MX$14.34

$1.24 ฿40.97

-31.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MX$19.60

$1.13 ฿37.22

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.32

$0.74 ฿24.29

45.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.63

$0.50 ฿16.42

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 MX$79.7

$4.28 ฿141

10.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$242

$17.97 ฿591

-20.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.28

$1.70 ฿55.9

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 MX$81.1

$2.90 ฿95.3

65.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.71

$0.94 ฿31.00

-26.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,820

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MX$20.50

$1.23 ฿40.60

-1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.53 ฿17.59

7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$2.40 ฿79.0

149.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.44 ฿47.37

12.50%

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

$15.1K MX$255.4K

$21.2K ฿697.5K

-28.64%

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

$27.3K MX$460.1K

$27.3K ฿898.6K

-0.19%

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

$46.91 MX$792

$64.9 ฿2,137

-27.75%

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

$29.57 MX$499

$13.35 ฿439

121.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.85 MX$588

$20.83 ฿686

67.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 MX$619

$40.42 ฿1,330

-9.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.59 MX$365

$3.95 ฿130

446.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 MX$118

$6.71 ฿221

4.47%

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

$469 MX$7,914

$787 ฿25.9K

-40.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,001 MX$84.4K

$15.1K ฿497.7K

-66.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 MX$1,258

$56.2 ฿1,850

32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 MX$949

$24.95 ฿821

125.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,944

$92.7 ฿3,051

24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,110

$75.1 ฿2,472

66.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 MX$11.1K

$484 ฿15.9K

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 MX$7,125

$287 ฿9,454

46.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 MX$18.6K

$910 ฿29.9K

21.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 MX$13.8K

$531 ฿17.5K

53.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,942 MX$32.8K

$1,980 ฿65.2K

-1.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,249 MX$21.1K

$1,451 ฿47.8K

-13.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$636 MX$10.7K

$605 ฿19.9K

5.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: September 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $658 in Zacapoaxtla versus $484 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 5% higher in Zacapoaxtla, 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 $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Zacapoaxtla vs $242 in Chiang Mai – so Zacapoaxtla 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

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

Zacapoaxtla costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,572 per month in Zacapoaxtla and $1,426 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 $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Zacapoaxtla – 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 $950, than in Zacapoaxtla at $1,048. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zacapoaxtla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $950 versus $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla. 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, Zacapoaxtla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.