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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,109 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $845 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,760 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,323 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,412 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zihuatanejo costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Zihuatanejo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zihuatanejo 17% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 MX$186

$1.95 ฿62.6

449.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 MX$662

$18.43 ฿591

107.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$134

$7.50 ฿241

3.07%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MX$55.8

$1.93 ฿62.0

66.84%

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

$1.23 MX$21.29

$0.78 ฿24.98

57.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.54

$0.32 ฿10.38

196.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.08

$2.15 ฿68.9

7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MX$65.7

$3.71 ฿119

2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.01

$1.71 ฿55.0

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$58.9

$1.56 ฿50.1

117.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.94

$1.18 ฿37.91

32.20%

Eggs

$4.30 MX$74.5

$1.98 ฿63.6

117.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$140

$16.04 ฿515

-49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$3.17 ฿102

141.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 MX$186

$10.94 ฿351

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.66

$2.63 ฿84.3

2.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.17 ฿37.45

17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.82

$1.65 ฿52.8

4.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.71

$1.54 ฿49.31

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.17

$1.38 ฿44.16

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.87

$1.17 ฿37.39

71.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.79

$0.66 ฿21.16

81.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.61

$0.51 ฿16.48

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.6

$4.52 ฿145

-4.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 MX$206

$18.32 ฿588

-35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.11

$1.80 ฿57.7

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$49.63

$3.18 ฿102

-9.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.19

$0.90 ฿28.85

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.02

$1.41 ฿45.32

88.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.58

$1.31 ฿41.98

16.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MX$140

$8.09 ฿260

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.28 ฿40.92

3.13%

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

$21.1K MX$365.4K

$21.3K ฿683.3K

-0.94%

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

$22.2K MX$384.4K

$21.7K ฿696.5K

2.24%

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

$56.2 MX$973

$69.2 ฿2,221

-18.84%

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

$10.51 MX$182

$13.97 ฿448

-24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$492

$17.95 ฿576

58.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 MX$622

$42.31 ฿1,358

-15.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$270

$6.66 ฿214

133.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$81.0

$5.92 ฿190

-20.95%

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

$203 MX$3,519

$299 ฿9,601

-32.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,542 MX$61.3K

$14.8K ฿476.5K

-76.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$933

$56.2 ฿1,803

-4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$26.94 ฿864

48.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,559

$84.9 ฿2,724

6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 MX$1,397

$71.8 ฿2,305

12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,885

$435 ฿14.0K

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,760

$240 ฿7,696

62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$798 ฿25.6K

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.4K

$498 ฿16.0K

54.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 MX$38.7K

$1,995 ฿64.0K

11.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 MX$22.4K

$1,532 ฿49.2K

-15.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

129.60%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Zihuatanejo versus $435 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 $38 in Zihuatanejo versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $244 – 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

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

Zihuatanejo costs about 31% 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 $1,663 per month in Zihuatanejo and $1,267 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 $38.00 in Zihuatanejo 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 10% more in Zihuatanejo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Zihuatanejo at $1,109. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zihuatanejo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $845 versus $1,109 in Zihuatanejo. 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, Zihuatanejo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.