Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,308 per month in Buenaventura vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buenaventura $1,308
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,012 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buenaventura $2,012
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,716 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buenaventura $2,716
Chiang Mai $1,903

Buenaventura costs about 41% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Buenaventura and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Buenaventura 3% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 COP 24.1K

$2.29 ฿76.5

232.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.62 COP 135.1K

$19.64 ฿656

117.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 COP 29.8K

$5.61 ฿188

67.74%

Cappuccino

$2.59 COP 8,225

$1.66 ฿55.6

56.02%

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

$1.38 COP 4,370

$0.70 ฿23.40

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 COP 2,835

$0.31 ฿10.24

187.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 COP 9,959

$2.41 ฿80.4

30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 COP 11.8K

$3.71 ฿124

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,538

$1.95 ฿65.3

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 COP 7,642

$1.41 ฿47.03

70.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,169

$1.31 ฿43.62

24.43%

Eggs

$2.95 COP 9,353

$2.18 ฿72.9

35.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 COP 24.9K

$16.65 ฿556

-52.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 COP 30.5K

$2.76 ฿92.2

248.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 COP 38.9K

$9.11 ฿304

34.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$2.39 ฿80.0

49.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,665

$1.03 ฿34.26

42.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,047

$1.63 ฿54.4

17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 COP 5,696

$1.50 ฿50.0

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,737

$1.29 ฿43.13

15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,694

$1.11 ฿37.03

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,758

$0.72 ฿24.08

65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,811

$0.53 ฿17.59

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 COP 12.5K

$4.31 ฿144

-8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 COP 41.7K

$17.95 ฿600

-26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,474

$1.58 ฿52.9

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 7,555

$2.84 ฿95.0

-16.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,450

$0.86 ฿28.86

26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 COP 5,079

$1.21 ฿40.29

32.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 COP 6,457

$0.57 ฿18.99

257.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 COP 28.6K

$2.35 ฿78.6

283.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,080

$1.44 ฿47.96

-10.42%

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

$24.7K COP 78.5M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

19.35%

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

$35.4K COP 112.2M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

32.00%

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

$126 COP 399.9K

$62.3 ฿2,083

102.36%

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

$13.14 COP 41.7K

$12.11 ฿405

8.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 COP 92.5K

$19.94 ฿666

46.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 COP 120.9K

$37.07 ฿1,239

2.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 COP 20.6K

$6.50 ฿217

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$793 ฿26.5K

-20.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,516 COP 23.8M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-49.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 COP 269.2K

$53.7 ฿1,796

58.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 COP 172.5K

$24.62 ฿823

120.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.5K

$90.9 ฿3,036

52.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 328.1K

$71.1 ฿2,378

45.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.1M

$455 ฿15.2K

43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$298 ฿9,954

59.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 COP 3.2M

$908 ฿30.4K

9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 COP 2.8M

$554 ฿18.5K

58.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,966 COP 6.2M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

1.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,628 COP 5.2M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

12.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

5.57

107.90%

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

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenaventura

$475 36.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 37.3% $177

Groceries & Markets

Buenaventura

$273 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 13.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Buenaventura

$172 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 37% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenaventura

$168 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 44% $74

Eating Out

Buenaventura

$153 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 48.5% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Buenaventura

$51 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 2.1% $1.1

Getting Around

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 277% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Buenaventura versus $455 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 $43.00 in Buenaventura versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

22:29 10:29 PM

12 h ahead of Buenaventura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,607

127,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Buenaventura Chiang Mai 17,460 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenaventura
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,308 in Buenaventura, $925 in Chiang Mai – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,962 per month in Buenaventura and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $43.00 in Buenaventura and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Buenaventura, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Buenaventura at $1,308. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenaventura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Chiang Mai to $1,308 in Buenaventura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Buenaventura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.