Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acosta and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,752 in Acosta, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
Learn more

Acosta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,752

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acosta 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 Acosta and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,752 in Acosta versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Acosta $1,752
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,725 in Acosta versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Acosta $2,725
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Acosta versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Acosta $3,698
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Acosta is roughly 87% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acosta is 30% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₡5,328

$2.26 ฿75.4

425.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 ₡26.4K

$19.18 ฿641

207.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 ₡5,184

$5.59 ฿187

106.80%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₡1,869

$1.72 ฿57.6

142.44%

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

$2.54 ₡1,138

$0.64 ฿21.54

296.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡830

$0.33 ฿11.18

460.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ₡1,432

$2.36 ฿78.7

35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₡1,960

$3.90 ฿130

12.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ₡938

$2.05 ฿68.6

1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ₡1,110

$1.40 ฿46.70

76.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₡1,032

$1.28 ฿42.89

79.69%

Eggs

$3.75 ₡1,680

$2.25 ฿75.3

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₡4,912

$16.94 ฿566

-35.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 ₡4,894

$2.74 ฿91.6

298.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.12 ₡6,781

$9.36 ฿313

61.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.79 ₡2,595

$2.40 ฿80.3

141.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.01 ฿33.92

76.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 ₡1,584

$1.61 ฿53.9

119.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,448

$1.52 ฿50.7

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 ₡1,464

$1.28 ฿42.90

154.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,544

$1.11 ฿37.22

209.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡471

$0.72 ฿24.09

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.52 ฿17.54

359.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₡2,215

$4.33 ฿145

14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.53 ₡7,861

$17.73 ฿593

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₡1,019

$1.63 ฿54.4

39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₡1,104

$2.85 ฿95.3

-13.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₡516

$0.85 ฿28.31

35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 ₡1,026

$1.17 ฿39.18

95.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 ₡715

$0.57 ฿19.00

178.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 ₡4,271

$2.37 ฿79.2

301.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡653

$1.45 ฿48.32

0.69%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

8.53%

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

$30.8K ₡13.8M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

16.16%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$62.3 ฿2,083

50.38%

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

$34.27 ₡15.4K

$12.27 ฿410

179.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 ₡25.8K

$19.97 ฿668

187.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.9 ₡34.5K

$37.91 ฿1,267

102.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 ₡3,571

$6.71 ฿224

18.63%

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

$845 ₡379.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

6.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ₡8.2M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

23.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 ₡36.3K

$53.3 ฿1,780

52.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$25.05 ฿837

121.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₡64.0K

$91.6 ฿3,062

55.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₡51.3K

$73.5 ฿2,455

55.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 ₡353.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

69.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 ₡307.7K

$305 ฿10.2K

125.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 ₡886.4K

$915 ฿30.6K

115.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 ₡571.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

130.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 ₡871.5K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

1.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 ₡677.5K

$595 ฿19.9K

153.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Acosta: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Acosta

$686 39.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 55.6% $381

Groceries & Markets

Acosta

$373 21.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 36.3% $135

Eating Out

Acosta

$222 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 64.4% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acosta

$186 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 49% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Acosta

$177 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 38.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Acosta

$93 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 44.7% $42

Getting Around

Acosta

$15 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 313% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $787 in Acosta and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 154% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Acosta vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Acosta

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

13 h ahead of Acosta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,072

127,240

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Acosta Chiang Mai 16,820 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Acosta
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

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

Acosta and Chiang Mai differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,752 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 154% higher in Acosta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $787 in Acosta versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,752 per month in Acosta versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,752 in Acosta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Acosta and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.