Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ambato $605
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ambato $985
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
Chiang Mai $1,914

Ambato is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ambato and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ambato 55% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$2.26 ฿75.4

53.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$19.18 ฿641

56.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$5.59 ฿187

-4.83%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$1.72 ฿57.6

60.47%

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

$0.82 $0.82

$0.64 ฿21.54

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.33 ฿11.18

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.36 ฿78.7

-16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.90 ฿130

-17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.05 ฿68.6

-52.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.40 ฿46.70

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.28 ฿42.89

22.66%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$2.25 ฿75.3

-23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$16.94 ฿566

-68.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.74 ฿91.6

11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$9.36 ฿313

-58.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.40 ฿80.3

-47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.01 ฿33.92

-12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.61 ฿53.9

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.52 ฿50.7

-32.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.28 ฿42.90

-39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.11 ฿37.22

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.72 ฿24.09

1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.52 ฿17.54

98.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.33 ฿145

18.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$17.73 ฿593

-50.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.63 ฿54.4

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.85 ฿95.3

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.85 ฿28.31

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$53.9 ฿1,801

-73.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.17 ฿39.18

18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.57 ฿19.00

96.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$2.37 ฿79.2

297.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.45 ฿48.32

-40.69%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

13.96%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

6.16%

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

$39.20 $39.20

$62.3 ฿2,083

-37.11%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$12.27 ฿410

10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$19.97 ฿668

32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$37.91 ฿1,267

-21.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$6.71 ฿224

-34.58%

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

$224 $224

$797 ฿26.6K

-71.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-83.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$53.3 ฿1,780

-9.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$25.05 ฿837

40.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$91.6 ฿3,062

-22.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$73.5 ฿2,455

-24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$464 ฿15.5K

-61.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$305 ฿10.2K

-59.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$915 ฿30.6K

-58.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$552 ฿18.5K

-50.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-40.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-38.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$595 ฿19.9K

14.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

61.58%

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

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 61.9% $91

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 145% $180

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 20.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 15.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 19.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 33.2% $13

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 174% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato versus $464 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 14% higher in Ambato, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $147 in Ambato vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Ambato wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

12 h ahead of Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ambato Chiang Mai 18,050 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Ambato and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, 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 $30.00 in Ambato and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 55%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Ambato. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.