Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,520 per month in Cartagena vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cartagena $1,520
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Cartagena vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cartagena $2,565
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,610 per month in Cartagena vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cartagena $3,610
Chiang Mai $1,999

Cartagena costs about 62% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cartagena sits 12% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 COP 18.2K

$2.13 ฿72.0

164.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 COP 457.5K

$18.62 ฿628

661.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.60 ฿189

81.96%

Cappuccino

$4.44 COP 14.3K

$1.66 ฿56.1

167.47%

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

$2.44 COP 7,876

$0.65 ฿21.83

275.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 COP 7,198

$0.30 ฿10.29

643.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.32 ฿78.4

37.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 COP 16.3K

$3.67 ฿124

37.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 COP 6,121

$2.02 ฿68.0

-5.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 COP 8,970

$1.41 ฿47.51

97.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,615

$1.39 ฿46.96

2.88%

Eggs

$4.96 COP 16.0K

$2.37 ฿79.9

109.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 COP 43.3K

$16.52 ฿557

-18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.30 COP 55.9K

$2.67 ฿90.1

547.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 COP 6,639

$0.51 ฿17.35

303.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 COP 45.5K

$17.93 ฿605

-21.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,503

$1.62 ฿54.8

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 4,027

$0.93 ฿31.53

34.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 COP 216.1K

$52.9 ฿1,785

26.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 COP 15.0K

$1.18 ฿39.70

294.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 COP 11.9K

$0.17 ฿5.79

2070.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 COP 30.8K

$1.81 ฿61.1

426.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,341

$1.47 ฿49.69

-8.84%

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

$33.9K COP 109.5M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

61.43%

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

$35.0K COP 113.1M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

32.09%

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

$79.0 COP 254.9K

$62.6 ฿2,111

26.23%

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

$11.60 ฿392

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 COP 177.0K

$37.88 ฿1,278

44.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 COP 26.1K

$6.51 ฿220

24.42%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$727 ฿24.5K

-13.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K COP 38.6M

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-27.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 COP 4.3M

$481 ฿16.2K

179.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 COP 2.7M

$310 ฿10.5K

171.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 COP 8.0M

$1,058 ฿35.7K

133.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 COP 5.1M

$659 ฿22.2K

139.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 COP 3.0M

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-42.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 COP 1.5M

$595 ฿20.1K

-22.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

169.30%

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

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,347 in Cartagena versus $481 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.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $142 in Cartagena versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

01:43 1:43 AM

12 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

127,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartagena Chiang Mai 16,710 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
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

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

Cartagena costs about 62% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,279 per month in Cartagena and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Cartagena and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Cartagena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,520 in Cartagena and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $935 versus $1,520 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.