Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caye Caulker and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,895 in Caye Caulker, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Caye Caulker
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Caye Caulker Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Caye Caulker

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,895

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Caye Caulker vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Caye Caulker $1,895
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Caye Caulker vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Caye Caulker $2,731
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,567 per month in Caye Caulker vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Caye Caulker $3,567
Chiang Mai $1,903

Caye Caulker costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caye Caulker sits 40% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 BZD 16.69

$2.29 ฿76.5

264.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.40 BZD 64.8

$19.64 ฿656

64.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 BZD 14.63

$5.61 ฿188

30.30%

Cappuccino

$4.07 BZD 8.13

$1.66 ฿55.6

145.18%

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

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$0.70 ฿23.40

108.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BZD 3.41

$0.31 ฿10.24

448.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 BZD 5.98

$2.41 ฿80.4

24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BZD 8.77

$3.71 ฿124

18.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.96 BZD 5.92

$1.95 ฿65.3

51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 BZD 3.57

$1.41 ฿47.03

26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 BZD 8.74

$1.31 ฿43.62

233.59%

Eggs

$4.09 BZD 8.18

$2.18 ฿72.9

87.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 BZD 22.00

$16.65 ฿556

-33.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 BZD 15.39

$2.76 ฿92.2

178.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 BZD 26.68

$9.11 ฿304

46.43%

Apples (1kg)

$8.28 BZD 16.57

$2.39 ฿80.0

246.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 BZD 2.16

$1.03 ฿34.26

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 BZD 2.79

$1.63 ฿54.4

-14.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 BZD 5.80

$1.50 ฿50.0

93.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 BZD 10.82

$1.29 ฿43.13

319.38%

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 BZD 9.02

$1.11 ฿37.03

306.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 BZD 6.42

$0.72 ฿24.08

345.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 BZD 3.59

$0.53 ฿17.59

239.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 BZD 8.88

$4.31 ฿144

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.29 BZD 44.58

$17.95 ฿600

24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 BZD 4.50

$1.58 ฿52.9

42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 BZD 4.94

$2.84 ฿95.0

-13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 BZD 10.23

$0.86 ฿28.86

494.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 BZD 44.73

$53.3 ฿1,780

-58.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 BZD 6.94

$1.21 ฿40.29

186.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 BZD 6.15

$0.57 ฿18.99

438.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 BZD 9.71

$2.35 ฿78.6

106.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.09 BZD 6.17

$1.44 ฿47.96

114.58%

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

$10.6K BZD 21.1K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-49.07%

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

$21.2K BZD 42.4K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-20.99%

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

$204 BZD 407

$62.3 ฿2,083

226.60%

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

$35.62 BZD 71.3

$12.11 ฿405

194.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 BZD 151

$19.94 ฿666

278.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.93 BZD 69.9

$37.07 ฿1,239

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 BZD 27.47

$3.78 ฿126

263.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 BZD 23.78

$6.50 ฿217

82.92%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 BZD 150

$53.7 ฿1,796

39.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 BZD 121

$24.62 ฿823

146.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 BZD 305

$90.9 ฿3,036

67.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.27 BZD 98.6

$71.1 ฿2,378

-30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 BZD 2,037

$455 ฿15.2K

123.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 BZD 1,507

$298 ฿9,954

153.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 BZD 1,552

$908 ฿30.4K

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 BZD 2,489

$554 ฿18.5K

124.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,001 BZD 4,004

$591 ฿19.7K

238.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Caye Caulker: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caye Caulker

$754 39.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 60.5% $456

Groceries & Markets

Caye Caulker

$381 20.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 38.2% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caye Caulker

$315 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 70% $220

Eating Out

Caye Caulker

$174 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 54.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Caye Caulker

$152 8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 28.7% $44

Getting Around

Caye Caulker

$62 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1.4% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Caye Caulker

$59 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Caye Caulker versus $455 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 239% higher in Caye Caulker, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Caye Caulker versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Caye Caulker

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

17:52 5:52 PM

13 h ahead of Caye Caulker

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,729

127,240

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caye Caulker Chiang Mai 15,880 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Caye Caulker
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

Caye Caulker vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caye Caulker costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,843 per month in Caye Caulker and $1,388 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,895 in Caye Caulker and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 105%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Caye Caulker and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Caye Caulker at $1,895. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caye Caulker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,895 in Caye Caulker. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caye Caulker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.