Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Candelaria and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,327 in Candelaria, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. The total is higher in Candelaria despite lower rent and utilities.

64

Cost of Living Index in Candelaria
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Candelaria Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Candelaria

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,327 per month in Candelaria vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Candelaria $1,327
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Candelaria vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Candelaria $2,085
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,844 per month in Candelaria vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Candelaria $2,844
Chiang Mai $1,979

Candelaria costs about 42% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Candelaria and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Candelaria 3% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.01 $19.01

$2.24 ฿75.7

748.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$19.00 ฿642

328.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 $9.21

$5.55 ฿188

65.95%

Cappuccino

$3.70 $3.70

$1.67 ฿56.6

121.56%

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

$1.88 $1.88

$0.64 ฿21.56

193.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.31 ฿10.32

370.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.36 ฿79.6

29.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.66 ฿124

35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.95 ฿65.8

10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.44 ฿48.51

145.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.33 ฿45.07

75.19%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$2.28 ฿77.1

215.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 $12.35

$16.45 ฿556

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$2.78 ฿94.0

256.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 $13.47

$9.31 ฿314

44.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.35 ฿79.5

117.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.97 ฿32.82

164.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$1.60 ฿53.9

201.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.50 ฿50.7

224.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.28 ฿43.15

189.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.10 ฿37.22

260.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.38 $3.38

$0.71 ฿23.84

376.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.49 ฿16.38

238.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.10 $12.10

$4.14 ฿140

192.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$17.52 ฿592

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.61 ฿54.5

93.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.78 ฿94.0

47.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.16 ฿39.08

112.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.53 ฿17.82

184.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$2.42 ฿81.8

1602.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.45 ฿48.93

-19.31%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

61.60%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

4.82%

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

$326 $326

$62.2 ฿2,100

424.74%

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

$68.8 $68.8

$12.17 ฿411

465.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$20.12 ฿680

244.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$10.69 $10.69

$6.49 ฿219

64.71%

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

$806 $806

$736 ฿24.9K

9.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-16.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$53.4 ฿1,802

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 $61.3

$24.64 ฿832

148.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$91.5 ฿3,089

19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$71.9 ฿2,429

58.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for Candelaria: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Candelaria

$464 35%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 79.7% $370

Groceries & Markets

Candelaria

$415 31.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 43.5% $180

Eating Out

Candelaria

$263 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 70.5% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Candelaria

$153 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 29.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Candelaria

$21 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 135% $29

Getting Around

Candelaria

$10 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 513% $51

Accommodation & Living

Candelaria

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Candelaria versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Candelaria

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

21:04 9:04 PM

11 h ahead of Candelaria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,631

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Candelaria Chiang Mai 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Candelaria
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,327 in Candelaria, $936 in Chiang Mai – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,990 per month in Candelaria and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,327 in Candelaria and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $806 per month in Candelaria and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,327 in Candelaria and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,327 in Candelaria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.