Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,236 in Cayo Coco, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
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Cayo Coco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,236

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Cayo Coco versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Cayo Coco $1,236
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Cayo Coco versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Cayo Coco $1,692
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Cayo Coco versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Cayo Coco $2,148
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 34% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 9% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 CUP 118

$2.29 ฿76.5

114.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.82 CUP 356

$19.64 ฿656

-24.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 CUP 168

$5.61 ฿188

24.42%

Cappuccino

$1.02 CUP 24.56

$1.66 ฿55.6

-38.55%

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

$1.95 CUP 46.75

$0.70 ฿23.40

178.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.53

$0.31 ฿10.24

229.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 CUP 48.33

$2.41 ฿80.4

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 73.9

$3.71 ฿124

-16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 CUP 73.3

$1.95 ฿65.3

56.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 CUP 24.60

$1.41 ฿47.03

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 CUP 48.95

$1.31 ฿43.62

55.73%

Eggs

$3.71 CUP 88.9

$2.18 ฿72.9

70.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.11 CUP 147

$16.65 ฿556

-63.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 CUP 117

$2.76 ฿92.2

76.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 CUP 239

$9.11 ฿304

9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 CUP 123

$2.39 ฿80.0

114.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$1.03 ฿34.26

-0.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.52

$1.63 ฿54.4

-37.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$1.50 ฿50.0

-35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.36

$1.29 ฿43.13

-21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$1.11 ฿37.03

175.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 CUP 23.39

$0.72 ฿24.08

34.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$0.53 ฿17.59

84.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 CUP 72.8

$4.31 ฿144

-29.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 CUP 236

$17.95 ฿600

-45.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.69

$1.58 ฿52.9

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 CUP 48.42

$2.84 ฿95.0

-28.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.63 CUP 471

$53.3 ฿1,780

-63.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 CUP 24.64

$1.21 ฿40.29

-14.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$0.57 ฿18.99

80.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.65 CUP 472

$2.35 ฿78.6

736.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$1.44 ฿47.96

-29.17%

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

$69.0K CUP 1.7M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

232.79%

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

$79.6K CUP 1.9M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

197.02%

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

$39.88 CUP 957

$62.3 ฿2,083

-36.02%

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

$40.74 CUP 978

$12.11 ฿405

236.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$223 CUP 5,340

$19.94 ฿666

1015.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.30 CUP 967

$37.07 ฿1,239

8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 CUP 237

$3.78 ฿126

160.85%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.46

$6.50 ฿217

-84.31%

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

$90.0 CUP 2,160

$793 ฿26.5K

-88.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K CUP 359.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.51 CUP 972

$53.7 ฿1,796

-24.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 CUP 708

$24.62 ฿823

19.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 CUP 1,806

$90.9 ฿3,036

-17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 CUP 1,917

$71.1 ฿2,378

12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 CUP 9,451

$455 ฿15.2K

-13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 CUP 10.3K

$298 ฿9,954

43.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 CUP 25.7K

$908 ฿30.4K

17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 CUP 14.8K

$554 ฿18.5K

11.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$296 CUP 7,112

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-84.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,534

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-75.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.74 CUP 474

$591 ฿19.7K

-96.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cayo Coco

$427 34.6%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 30.3% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayo Coco

$303 24.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 68.9% $209

Groceries & Markets

Cayo Coco

$235 19%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 6.8% $6.8

Eating Out

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 22% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cayo Coco

$42 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 18.2% $7.7

Getting Around

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 136% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Cayo Coco and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 2893% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $235 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

19:54 7:54 PM

11 h ahead of Cayo Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cayo Coco Chiang Mai 15,420 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Cayo Coco
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cayo Coco vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2893% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $394 in Cayo Coco versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 171% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $90.0 in Cayo Coco versus $793 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,236 in Cayo Coco, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. 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 $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cayo Coco 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 34% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.