Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahia de Caraquez and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $873 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bahia de Caraquez
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$873
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $873 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Bahia de Caraquez $873
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Bahia de Caraquez $1,437
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,002 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Bahia de Caraquez $2,002
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Bahia de Caraquez is about 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bahia de Caraquez and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Bahia de Caraquez 35% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.97 $3.97
$2.13 ฿72.0
86.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.2 $53.2
$18.62 ฿628
185.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.82 $8.82
$5.60 ฿189
57.50%
Cappuccino
$2.79 $2.79
$1.66 ฿56.1
68.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 $0.92
$0.65 ฿21.83
41.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 $0.68
$0.30 ฿10.29
126.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.32 ฿78.4
28.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.20 $4.20
$3.67 ฿124
14.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$2.02 ฿68.0
-40.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.41 ฿47.51
42.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.39 ฿46.96
1.44%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$2.37 ฿79.9
-12.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.89 $6.89
$16.52 ฿557
-58.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$2.67 ฿90.1
95.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.99 $8.99
$9.02 ฿304
-0.33%
Apples (1kg)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.40 ฿80.9
-36.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.04 ฿35.13
11.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.66 ฿56.0
-38.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.56 ฿52.6
-39.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.24 ฿41.76
2.42%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.09 ฿36.66
-15.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.83 $0.83
$0.76 ฿25.70
9.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 $0.93
$0.51 ฿17.35
82.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.83 $5.83
$4.12 ฿139
41.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.84 $11.84
$17.93 ฿605
-33.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.62 ฿54.8
-4.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$2.82 ฿95.2
-22.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 $0.34
$0.93 ฿31.53
-63.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.9 ฿1,785
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.18 ฿39.70
129.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 $1.72
$0.17 ฿5.79
911.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.85 $11.85
$1.81 ฿61.1
554.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.47 ฿49.69
-42.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K $22.5K
$21.0K ฿708.9K
7.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K $31.1K
$26.5K ฿894.6K
17.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.68 $33.68
$62.6 ฿2,111
-46.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.13 $15.13
$11.60 ฿392
30.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.40 $26.40
$20.30 ฿685
30.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.48 $29.48
$37.88 ฿1,278
-22.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.45 $16.45
$3.70 ฿125
344.59%
Cinema Ticket
$7.64 $7.64
$6.51 ฿220
17.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 $375
$727 ฿24.5K
-48.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,635 $5,635
$16.6K ฿559.2K
-66.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.0 $66.0
$53.5 ฿1,807
23.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.24 $41.24
$24.80 ฿837
66.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 $125
$90.4 ฿3,050
38.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.4 $92.4
$72.0 ฿2,428
28.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$414 $414
$481 ฿16.2K
-13.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$274 $274
$310 ฿10.5K
-11.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$834 $834
$1,058 ฿35.7K
-21.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 $509
$659 ฿22.2K
-22.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,418 ฿81.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,609 ฿54.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bahia de Caraquez
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.05
5.57
80.43%

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

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bahia de Caraquez
$274
Chiang Mai
$310 13.3% $36
Groceries & Markets
Bahia de Caraquez
$199
Chiang Mai
$237 18.9% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Bahia de Caraquez
$146
Chiang Mai
$108 26% $38
Eating Out
Bahia de Caraquez
$121
Chiang Mai
$77 36.9% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bahia de Caraquez
$75
Chiang Mai
$94 25.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Bahia de Caraquez
$45
Chiang Mai
$51 13.7% $6.1
Getting Around
Bahia de Caraquez
$13 *
Chiang Mai
$59 363% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Bahia de Caraquez vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Bahia de Caraquez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
20:09 8:09 PM
08:09 8:09 AM
12 h ahead of Bahia de Caraquez
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,963
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bahia de Caraquez Chiang Mai 17,990 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bahia de Caraquez
  • 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
Bahia de Caraquez vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bahia de Caraquez and in Chiang Mai compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $873 in Bahia de Caraquez, $935 in Chiang Mai – Bahia de Caraquez comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Bahia de Caraquez compared to Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,309 per month in Bahia de Caraquez and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bahia de Caraquez and Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Bahia de Caraquez and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $1,200 go in Bahia de Caraquez compared to Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $873 in Bahia de Caraquez and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Bahia de Caraquez and Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $873 in Bahia de Caraquez to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bahia de Caraquez or Chiang Mai safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Bahia de Caraquez vs other spots: cost of living compared

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