Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antofagasta and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Antofagasta: $888 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

Antofagasta
🇨🇱 Chile
$888
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Antofagasta versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

  • Antofagasta $888
  • Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,416 in Antofagasta versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

  • Antofagasta $1,416
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Antofagasta versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

  • Antofagasta $1,944
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 5% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta 34% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.05 CLP 6,935
$2.26 ฿75.4
211.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.93 CLP 35.4K
$19.18 ฿641
87.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.29 CLP 7,179
$5.59 ฿187
30.41%
Cappuccino
$2.57 CLP 2,528
$1.72 ฿57.6
49.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 CLP 1,264
$0.64 ฿21.54
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 CLP 862
$0.33 ฿11.18
166.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.51 CLP 1,488
$2.36 ฿78.7
-36.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 CLP 1,765
$3.90 ฿130
-54.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 CLP 1,054
$2.05 ฿68.6
-47.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 CLP 1,834
$1.40 ฿46.70
32.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 CLP 1,199
$1.28 ฿42.89
-4.69%
Eggs
$2.59 CLP 2,553
$2.25 ฿75.3
15.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.02 CLP 8,878
$16.94 ฿566
-46.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.31 CLP 3,260
$2.74 ฿91.6
20.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.72 CLP 7,599
$9.36 ฿313
-17.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.03 CLP 1,996
$2.40 ฿80.3
-15.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 CLP 2,223
$1.01 ฿33.92
123.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 CLP 2,809
$1.61 ฿53.9
77.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.10 CLP 1,081
$1.52 ฿50.7
-27.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 CLP 864
$1.28 ฿42.90
-31.25%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 CLP 772
$1.11 ฿37.22
-29.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 CLP 1,283
$0.72 ฿24.09
80.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 CLP 1,102
$0.52 ฿17.54
115.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29 CLP 5,209
$4.33 ฿145
22.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.13 CLP 5,048
$17.73 ฿593
-71.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 CLP 1,328
$1.63 ฿54.4
-17.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 CLP 992
$2.85 ฿95.3
-64.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 CLP 613
$0.85 ฿28.31
-27.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$53.9 ฿1,801
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 CLP 2,584
$1.17 ฿39.18
124.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.57 ฿19.00
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.37 ฿79.2
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CLP 1,318
$1.45 ฿48.32
-7.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.5K ฿684.3K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K CLP 17.2M
$26.5K ฿886.1K
-33.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$46.23 CLP 45.5K
$62.3 ฿2,083
-25.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.82 CLP 9,669
$12.27 ฿410
-19.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.54 CLP 12.3K
$19.97 ฿668
-37.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.34 CLP 40.7K
$37.91 ฿1,267
9.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.15 CLP 24.8K
$3.76 ฿126
568.88%
Cinema Ticket
$5.17 CLP 5,086
$6.71 ฿224
-22.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$255 CLP 250.6K
$797 ฿26.6K
-68.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,160 CLP 3.1M
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-78.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.01 CLP 38.4K
$53.3 ฿1,780
-26.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.18 CLP 14.9K
$25.05 ฿837
-39.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$58.3 CLP 57.4K
$91.6 ฿3,062
-36.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.7 CLP 66.6K
$73.5 ฿2,455
-7.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$437 CLP 430.0K
$464 ฿15.5K
-5.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$359 CLP 352.9K
$305 ฿10.2K
17.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 CLP 798.7K
$915 ฿30.6K
-11.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 CLP 648.9K
$552 ฿18.5K
19.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,912 ฿63.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,438 ฿48.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Antofagasta
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$711 CLP 700.2K
$595 ฿19.9K
19.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Antofagasta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Antofagasta
$359
Chiang Mai
$305 15% $54
Groceries & Markets
Antofagasta
$194
Chiang Mai
$238 22.8% $44
Eating Out
Antofagasta
$129
Chiang Mai
$79 38.7% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Antofagasta
$81
Chiang Mai
$110 35.1% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antofagasta
$69
Chiang Mai
$95 37.9% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Antofagasta
$52
Chiang Mai
$51 0.7% $0.3
Getting Around
Antofagasta
$5.1 *
Chiang Mai
$61 1098% $56

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 $437 in Antofagasta and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Antofagasta vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $238, with Antofagasta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Antofagasta
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
09:12 9:12 AM
19:12 7:12 PM
10 h ahead of Antofagasta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
348,517
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Antofagasta Chiang Mai 18,790 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Antofagasta
  • 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
Antofagasta vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Antofagasta or Chiang Mai?
Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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.
Are salaries higher in Antofagasta or in Chiang Mai?
Average pay runs 20% higher in Antofagasta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Antofagasta compared to Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $437 in Antofagasta versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Antofagasta and in Chiang Mai?
Childcare runs $255 in Antofagasta versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Antofagasta and in Chiang Mai?
Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Antofagasta or in Chiang Mai?
At $888 in Antofagasta versus $938 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Antofagasta or Chiang Mai?
Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $888 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.
How safe is Antofagasta compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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