Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altos and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $247 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$247

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $247 in Altos versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Altos $247
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $370 in Altos versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Altos $370
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $494 in Altos versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Altos $494
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Altos costs roughly 74% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Altos 82% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 ₲2,928

$2.05 ฿68.6

-75.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₲5,249

$1.40 ฿46.70

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₲5,598

$1.28 ฿42.89

-23.44%

Eggs

$1.87 ₲10.7K

$2.25 ฿75.3

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.10 ₲34.7K

$16.94 ฿566

-63.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ₲20.0K

$2.74 ฿91.6

28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.36 ₲30.5K

$9.36 ฿313

-42.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₲13.3K

$2.40 ฿80.3

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ₲7,273

$1.01 ฿33.92

26.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ₲7,835

$1.61 ฿53.9

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ₲10.1K

$1.52 ฿50.7

17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₲6,518

$1.28 ฿42.90

-10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ₲7,999

$1.11 ฿37.22

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ₲6,634

$0.72 ฿24.09

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₲4,659

$0.52 ฿17.54

57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.93 ₲5,309

$4.33 ฿145

-78.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₲44.6K

$17.73 ฿593

-55.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₲4,069

$1.63 ฿54.4

-55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₲4,334

$2.85 ฿95.3

-73.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₲2,202

$0.85 ฿28.31

-54.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.20 ₲69.4K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-77.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 ₲9,419

$1.17 ฿39.18

41.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₲3,861

$0.57 ฿19.00

19.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₲6,686

$1.45 ฿48.32

-18.62%

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

$19.3K ₲110.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-5.54%

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

$24.0K ₲136.2M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-9.66%

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

$34.64 ₲197.0K

$62.3 ฿2,083

-44.42%

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

$8.19 ₲46.6K

$12.27 ฿410

-33.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.10 ₲80.1K

$19.97 ฿668

-29.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 ₲19.5K

$6.71 ฿224

-48.73%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.19 ₲143.2K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-52.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,520 ₲8.6M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-20.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₲5.7M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-30.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 ₲2.8M

$595 ฿19.9K

-16.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Altos: 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

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Altos

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

Chiang Mai pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Altos

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

10 h ahead of Altos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,763

127,240

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Altos Chiang Mai 17,470 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Altos
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

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

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 280% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 342% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $247 in Altos versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 280% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.