Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,060 in Cali, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Cali versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Cali $1,060
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Cali versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Cali $1,626
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Cali versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Cali $2,192
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Cali is roughly 13% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 21% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$2.26 ฿75.4

223.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$19.18 ฿641

94.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$5.59 ฿187

48.84%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$1.72 ฿57.6

-11.63%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$0.64 ฿21.54

92.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$0.33 ฿11.18

160.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$2.36 ฿78.7

31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$3.90 ฿130

-2.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$2.05 ฿68.6

-24.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$1.40 ฿46.70

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$1.28 ฿42.89

15.62%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$2.25 ฿75.3

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$16.94 ฿566

-62.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$2.74 ฿91.6

150.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.36 ฿313

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$2.40 ฿80.3

43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$1.01 ฿33.92

38.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$1.61 ฿53.9

11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$1.52 ฿50.7

8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.28 ฿42.90

11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$1.11 ฿37.22

39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$0.72 ฿24.09

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$0.52 ฿17.54

80.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$4.33 ฿145

-12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$17.73 ฿593

-27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.63 ฿54.4

-12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$2.85 ฿95.3

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$0.85 ฿28.31

25.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-43.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$1.17 ฿39.18

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$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)

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

33.38%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$62.3 ฿2,083

75.84%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$12.27 ฿410

5.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$19.97 ฿668

50.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-24.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$6.71 ฿224

25.19%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$53.3 ฿1,780

47.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$25.05 ฿837

112.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$91.6 ฿3,062

37.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$73.5 ฿2,455

50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$464 ฿15.5K

41.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$305 ฿10.2K

-5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$915 ฿30.6K

70.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$552 ฿18.5K

-9.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$595 ฿19.9K

-1.64%

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 Cali: 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

Cali

$288 27.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 5.6% $16

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 33.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 38% $58

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 40.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 12.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 73.5% $26

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 $655 in Cali and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 2% 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 Cali vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

16:32 4:32 PM

12 h ahead of Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Cali Chiang Mai 17,490 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Cali
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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $655 in Cali versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $37.00 in Cali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 78% less than in Cali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,060 in Cali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cali. 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 Cali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cali 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 13% less than in Cali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.