Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boquete and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,462 in Boquete, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
Learn more

Boquete Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,462

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,462 in Boquete versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Boquete $1,462
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Boquete versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Boquete $2,237
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Boquete versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Boquete $3,011
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Boquete is roughly 56% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boquete is 8% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 PAB 6.48

$2.26 ฿75.4

186.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.69 PAB 39.69

$19.18 ฿641

106.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 PAB 7.65

$5.59 ฿187

36.85%

Cappuccino

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$1.72 ฿57.6

125.58%

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

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$0.64 ฿21.54

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 PAB 1.15

$0.33 ฿11.18

248.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 PAB 2.27

$2.36 ฿78.7

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 PAB 5.08

$3.90 ฿130

30.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 PAB 1.81

$2.05 ฿68.6

-11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 PAB 2.15

$1.40 ฿46.70

53.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 PAB 2.25

$1.28 ฿42.89

75.78%

Eggs

$2.60 PAB 2.60

$2.25 ฿75.3

15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 PAB 9.62

$16.94 ฿566

-43.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 PAB 7.53

$2.74 ฿91.6

174.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 PAB 15.28

$9.36 ฿313

63.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 PAB 4.33

$2.40 ฿80.3

80.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 PAB 1.01

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 PAB 4.40

$1.61 ฿53.9

173.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 PAB 2.23

$1.52 ฿50.7

46.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 PAB 2.21

$1.28 ฿42.90

72.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 PAB 2.14

$1.11 ฿37.22

92.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 PAB 2.30

$0.72 ฿24.09

219.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 PAB 1.65

$0.52 ฿17.54

217.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 PAB 5.02

$4.33 ฿145

15.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 PAB 7.85

$17.73 ฿593

-55.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.63 ฿54.4

-26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PAB 2.59

$2.85 ฿95.3

-9.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 PAB 1.35

$0.85 ฿28.31

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.55 PAB 24.55

$53.9 ฿1,801

-54.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 PAB 1.02

$1.17 ฿39.18

-12.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PAB 2.06

$0.57 ฿19.00

261.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 PAB 30.39

$2.37 ฿79.2

1182.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 PAB 1.13

$1.45 ฿48.32

-22.07%

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

$25.5K PAB 25.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

24.73%

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

$22.1K PAB 22.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-16.83%

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

$58.0 PAB 58.0

$62.3 ฿2,083

-6.91%

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

$25.95 PAB 25.95

$12.27 ฿410

111.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.16 PAB 42.16

$19.97 ฿668

111.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 PAB 82.5

$37.91 ฿1,267

117.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.48 PAB 17.48

$3.76 ฿126

364.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 PAB 6.33

$6.71 ฿224

-5.66%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,075 PAB 6,075

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-59.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 PAB 25.42

$53.3 ฿1,780

-52.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.48 PAB 25.48

$25.05 ฿837

1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.14 PAB 44.14

$91.6 ฿3,062

-51.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 PAB 825

$464 ฿15.5K

77.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 PAB 710

$305 ฿10.2K

132.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 PAB 1,551

$915 ฿30.6K

69.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 PAB 1,284

$552 ฿18.5K

132.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 PAB 1,181

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-38.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 PAB 1,150

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-20.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 PAB 784

$595 ฿19.9K

31.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.57

16.70%

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

Last update for Boquete: 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

Boquete

$710 48.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 57.1% $405

Groceries & Markets

Boquete

$295 20.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 19.2% $57

Eating Out

Boquete

$153 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 48.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boquete

$126 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 25% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Boquete

$95 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 46% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Boquete

$43 * 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 156% $67

Getting Around

Boquete

$41 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 48.5% $20

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 $825 in Boquete and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boquete pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Boquete vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Boquete

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

01:15 1:15 AM

12 h ahead of Boquete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boquete Chiang Mai 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Boquete
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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Boquete, 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: $825 in Boquete versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Boquete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,462 per month in Boquete versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,462 in Boquete, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Boquete. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Boquete 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Boquete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.