Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $858 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$858

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $858 per month in Castro vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Castro $858
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Castro vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Castro $1,360
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Castro vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Castro $1,862
Chiang Mai $1,979

Castro is about 8% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Castro and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Castro 37% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 CLP 7,963

$2.24 ฿75.6

258.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.65 CLP 44.4K

$19.00 ฿641

135.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 CLP 5,658

$5.55 ฿187

2.70%

Cappuccino

$1.54 CLP 1,532

$1.67 ฿56.5

-7.78%

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

$1.19 CLP 1,184

$0.64 ฿21.55

85.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,022

$0.31 ฿10.31

232.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CLP 5,150

$2.36 ฿79.6

119.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 CLP 7,080

$3.66 ฿124

94.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 CLP 1,058

$1.95 ฿65.8

-45.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 CLP 3,492

$1.44 ฿48.48

144.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,265

$1.33 ฿45.04

-4.51%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,182

$2.28 ฿77.1

84.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 CLP 9,789

$16.45 ฿555

-40.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 CLP 3,988

$2.78 ฿93.9

44.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 CLP 8,316

$9.31 ฿314

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,367

$2.35 ฿79.4

-41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,139

$0.97 ฿32.80

121.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,476

$1.60 ฿53.9

-6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,867

$1.50 ฿50.6

25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 CLP 1,159

$1.28 ฿43.12

-8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 CLP 1,546

$0.71 ฿23.82

119.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CLP 1,465

$0.49 ฿16.37

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 CLP 3,537

$4.14 ฿140

-14.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 CLP 7,575

$17.52 ฿591

-56.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,018

$1.61 ฿54.5

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CLP 2,977

$2.78 ฿94.0

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 CLP 709

$0.87 ฿29.31

-18.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,283

$1.45 ฿48.90

-11.03%

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

$15.3K CLP 15.2M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

-27.57%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.8M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-33.50%

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

$130 CLP 129.1K

$62.2 ฿2,098

109.07%

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

$20.12 ฿679

48.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CLP 78.9K

$91.5 ฿3,087

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 CLP 348.4K

$482 ฿16.3K

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 277.2K

$309 ฿10.4K

-9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 1.0M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 CLP 565.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

-10.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 CLP 595.8K

$590 ฿19.9K

1.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Castro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Castro

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Castro versus $482 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 $45 in Castro versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Castro vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Castro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Castro

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

11:48 11:48 AM

10 h ahead of Castro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,417

127,240

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Castro Chiang Mai 17,290 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Castro
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,286 per month in Castro 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 Castro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $858 in Castro and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Castro about 8% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Castro and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $858 in Castro 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 $858 in Castro to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.