Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,443 in Cartagena versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Cartagena versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,573 in Cartagena versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 67% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 8% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.15 €12.17

$1.94 ฿63.5

629.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €48.95

$18.64 ฿609

205.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 €7.14

$7.82 ฿255

6.27%

Cappuccino

$2.65 €2.28

$1.95 ฿63.8

35.90%

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

$2.52 €2.17

$0.85 ฿27.77

196.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.35 ฿11.58

468.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.13 ฿69.6

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.03

$3.73 ฿122

-5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.71 ฿56.0

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.63 ฿53.2

-38.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.14 ฿37.15

50.88%

Eggs

$2.85 €2.45

$1.93 ฿63.1

47.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 €9.76

$16.21 ฿530

-29.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 €7.41

$3.12 ฿102

175.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 €12.27

$10.90 ฿356

30.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.75 ฿90.0

-14.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.21 ฿39.52

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.62 ฿53.0

-9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.59 ฿51.8

7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.40 ฿45.70

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.17 ฿38.17

-5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.66 ฿21.60

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$0.53 ฿17.22

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.89

$4.69 ฿153

21.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 €5.42

$18.66 ฿609

-66.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.80 ฿58.8

-38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$3.23 ฿106

-61.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.90 ฿29.26

53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 €9.76

$19.21 ฿628

-40.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.90

$1.41 ฿45.91

139.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.29 ฿42.12

-3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 €21.03

$7.84 ฿256

211.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.27 ฿41.58

43.31%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

44.96%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

38.57%

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

$142 €122

$69.1 ฿2,256

105.15%

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

$13.63 €11.73

$14.08 ฿460

-3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.08 €25.87

$18.00 ฿588

67.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.77 €33.35

$41.06 ฿1,341

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.94 €12.85

$6.96 ฿227

114.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.18 €7.04

$5.92 ฿193

38.18%

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

$430 €370

$299 ฿9,766

43.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,817 €2,424

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-81.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.63 €39.25

$54.7 ฿1,787

-16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.20 €26.84

$26.77 ฿874

16.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.67 €38.42

$85.0 ฿2,776

-47.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.5 €66.6

$70.6 ฿2,306

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 €660

$428 ฿14.0K

79.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 €541

$237 ฿7,752

165.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 €767

$801 ฿26.2K

11.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 €653

$515 ฿16.8K

47.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,810 €1,557

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-8.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,450 €1,248

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-1.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,963 €1,689

$617 ฿20.2K

217.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

-31.20%

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

Last update for Cartagena: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Cartagena and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 218% 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: $57.0 in Cartagena vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $246, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Cartagena pays 218% more on average, 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: $768 in Cartagena versus $428 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 $57.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,443 per month in Cartagena versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,443 in Cartagena, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena 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 67% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.