Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Antofagasta

For one person, living is cheaper in Antofagasta: $888 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Antofagasta
Learn more

Antofagasta Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Antofagasta

🇨🇱 Chile

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Antofagasta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Antofagasta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $888 in Antofagasta.

Chiang Mai $938
Antofagasta $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,416 in Antofagasta.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Antofagasta $1,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,944 in Antofagasta.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Antofagasta $1,944

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 6% more expensive than in Antofagasta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Antofagasta 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.05 CLP 6,935

-67.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$35.93 CLP 35.4K

-46.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.29 CLP 7,179

-23.32%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.57 CLP 2,528

-33.07%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.28 CLP 1,264

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.88 CLP 862

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.51 CLP 1,488

56.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.79 CLP 1,765

117.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.07 CLP 1,054

91.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.86 CLP 1,834

-24.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.22 CLP 1,199

4.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.59 CLP 2,553

-13.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$9.02 CLP 8,878

87.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.31 CLP 3,260

-17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$7.72 CLP 7,599

21.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.03 CLP 1,996

18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.26 CLP 2,223

-55.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.85 CLP 2,809

-43.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.10 CLP 1,081

38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.88 CLP 864

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.78 CLP 772

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.30 CLP 1,283

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.12 CLP 1,102

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.29 CLP 5,209

-18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$5.13 CLP 5,048

245.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.35 CLP 1,328

20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.01 CLP 992

182.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.62 CLP 613

37.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.63 CLP 2,584

-55.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.34 CLP 1,318

8.21%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$17.5K CLP 17.2M

51.48%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$46.23 CLP 45.5K

34.83%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$9.82 CLP 9,669

24.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$12.54 CLP 12.3K

59.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.34 CLP 40.7K

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$25.15 CLP 24.8K

-85.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.17 CLP 5,086

29.79%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$255 CLP 250.6K

213.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$3,160 CLP 3.1M

369.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$39.01 CLP 38.4K

36.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$15.18 CLP 14.9K

65.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$58.3 CLP 57.4K

57.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$67.7 CLP 66.6K

8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$437 CLP 430.0K

6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$359 CLP 352.9K

-15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$811 CLP 798.7K

12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$659 CLP 648.9K

-16.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$711 CLP 700.2K

-16.33%

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 Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Antofagasta

$359 40.4% 17.7% $54

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Antofagasta

$194 21.8% 18.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Antofagasta

$81 9.1% 26% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Antofagasta

$69 7.7% 27.5% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Antofagasta

$129 14.5% 63.1% $50

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Antofagasta

$5.1 * 0.6% 91.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Antofagasta

$52 5.8% 0.7% $0.3

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 $464 in Chiang Mai and $437 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $36.00 in Antofagasta. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $194, with Antofagasta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇱 Antofagasta

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

15:32 3:32 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

348,517

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Antofagasta 18,790 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Antofagasta

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

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

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Antofagasta. 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: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $437 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $255 in Antofagasta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Antofagasta versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $888 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.