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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Antofagasta versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Antofagasta versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,078 in Antofagasta versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 2% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta 33% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 CLP 6,962

$2.08 ฿69.2

257.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.73 CLP 34.4K

$19.64 ฿651

87.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 CLP 7,186

$5.65 ฿188

35.75%

Cappuccino

$2.64 CLP 2,472

$1.81 ฿59.9

45.86%

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

$1.31 CLP 1,228

$0.71 ฿23.66

84.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 831

$0.32 ฿10.48

178.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 CLP 1,526

$2.24 ฿74.2

-27.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 CLP 1,796

$3.63 ฿121

-47.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 CLP 1,067

$1.96 ฿65.0

-41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 CLP 1,638

$1.50 ฿49.83

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 CLP 1,213

$1.34 ฿44.32

-3.73%

Eggs

$2.94 CLP 2,760

$2.26 ฿75.1

30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 CLP 9,177

$16.26 ฿539

-39.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 CLP 3,853

$2.95 ฿98.0

39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 CLP 8,273

$9.94 ฿330

-11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 CLP 1,966

$2.57 ฿85.3

-18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 CLP 2,223

$1.06 ฿35.04

123.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 CLP 2,406

$1.61 ฿53.5

59.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,076

$1.52 ฿50.4

-24.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 CLP 889

$1.27 ฿42.14

-25.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 CLP 858

$1.07 ฿35.37

-14.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 CLP 1,112

$0.72 ฿23.89

65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CLP 1,090

$0.51 ฿16.87

127.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.70 CLP 4,409

$4.19 ฿139

12.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 CLP 5,683

$17.87 ฿593

-66.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CLP 1,428

$1.69 ฿56.2

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CLP 1,268

$2.84 ฿94.1

-52.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CLP 590

$0.93 ฿30.70

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CLP 2,551

$1.23 ฿40.95

121.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿80.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CLP 1,258

$1.41 ฿46.84

-4.96%

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

$21.4K ฿711.3K

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

$18.4K CLP 17.2M

$27.3K ฿906.7K

-32.72%

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

$47.56 CLP 44.6K

$63.7 ฿2,112

-25.30%

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

$10.14 CLP 9,506

$12.85 ฿426

-21.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.38 CLP 12.5K

$20.22 ฿671

-33.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.88 CLP 40.2K

$38.74 ฿1,285

10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.82 CLP 25.1K

$3.97 ฿132

575.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.25 CLP 4,918

$6.74 ฿223

-22.11%

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

$273 CLP 255.8K

$778 ฿25.8K

-64.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,311 CLP 3.1M

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-77.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.56 CLP 39.0K

$54.3 ฿1,801

-23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.87 CLP 14.9K

$25.45 ฿844

-37.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.3 CLP 57.4K

$94.3 ฿3,129

-35.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 CLP 68.2K

$73.4 ฿2,436

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 CLP 430.8K

$490 ฿16.2K

-6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 CLP 346.8K

$289 ฿9,596

27.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 CLP 790.2K

$894 ฿29.6K

-5.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 CLP 643.4K

$517 ฿17.1K

32.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$742 CLP 695.1K

$602 ฿20.0K

23.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Antofagasta: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $460 in Antofagasta and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Antofagasta vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $240, with Antofagasta cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Antofagasta, 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: $460 in Antofagasta versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Antofagasta versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in Antofagasta versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.