Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Barquisimeto

For one person, living is cheaper in Barquisimeto: $793 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Barquisimeto
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$793
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Barquisimeto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $793 in Barquisimeto.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Barquisimeto $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,355 in Barquisimeto.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Barquisimeto $1,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,917 in Barquisimeto.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Barquisimeto $1,917

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 18% more expensive than in Barquisimeto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Barquisimeto 41% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿71.2
$9.81 VES 8,757
-78.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿622
$49.18 VES 43.9K
-62.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿187
$11.69 VES 10.4K
-52.10%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.5
$1.72 VES 1,540
-3.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.59
$1.54 VES 1,371
-57.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.18
$1.13 VES 1,011
-73.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿77.5
$1.22 VES 1,092
90.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿122
$3.27 VES 2,923
12.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿67.3
$2.06 VES 1,838
-1.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.00
$1.32 VES 1,181
6.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.46
$1.31 VES 1,173
6.11%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.0
$2.19 VES 1,950
8.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿551
$6.19 VES 5,527
166.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿89.1
$6.73 VES 6,008
-60.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿301
$6.89 VES 6,155
30.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.1
$4.42 VES 3,949
-45.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿34.76
$1.53 VES 1,370
-32.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿55.4
$0.78 VES 694
112.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.0
$0.97 VES 865
60.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.31
$0.94 VES 841
31.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.27
$1.32 VES 1,177
-17.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.43
$0.64 VES 575
18.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.16
$1.52 VES 1,361
-66.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿138
$2.94 VES 2,621
40.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿598
$10.02 VES 8,949
78.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.2
$1.25 VES 1,117
29.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿94.2
$2.75 VES 2,451
2.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.19
$0.43 VES 384
116.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,766
$40.79 VES 36.4K
29.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.28
$4.99 VES 4,452
-76.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.72
$1.53 VES 1,366
-88.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿60.5
$14.95 VES 13.3K
-87.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.16
$0.73 VES 654
101.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿701.4K
$25.3K VES 22.6M
-17.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿885.1K
$30.2K VES 27.0M
-12.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,088
$15.56 VES 13.9K
302.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿387
$7.51 VES 6,702
54.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿678
$36.87 VES 32.9K
-44.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,264
$33.58 VES 30.0K
12.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿123
$8.39 VES 7,491
-55.90%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿217
$5.05 VES 4,509
28.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.3K
$57.5 VES 51.3K
1163.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿553.2K
$502 VES 448.2K
3201.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,787
$47.24 VES 42.2K
13.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿828
$39.90 VES 35.6K
-37.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,017
$92.9 VES 82.9K
-2.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,402
$80.1 VES 71.5K
-10.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.1K
$212 VES 189.3K
126.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.3K
$142 VES 126.3K
119.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.3K
$473 VES 421.9K
123.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.0K
$322 VES 287.3K
104.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿80.7K
$464 VES 414.0K
421.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿53.7K
$248 VES 221.4K
548.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Barquisimeto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
$185 VES 165.2K
221.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
25
-77.72%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Barquisimeto: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Barquisimeto
$142 54.3% $168
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Barquisimeto
$218 7.8% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Barquisimeto
$117 8.1% $8.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Barquisimeto
$60 36.6% $35
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Barquisimeto
$158 106% $81
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Barquisimeto
$55 6% $3.5
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Barquisimeto
$44 14.2% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $212 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $49 in Barquisimeto. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $218, with Barquisimeto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇻🇪 Barquisimeto
🕒 Local time
02:10 2:10 AM
15:10 3:10 PM
11 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
1,240,714
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,003 VES (10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Barquisimeto 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Barquisimeto

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 Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chiang Mai and in Barquisimeto?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $793 in Barquisimeto, so Barquisimeto is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Chiang Mai or Barquisimeto?
Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 3.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Barquisimeto?
Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $212 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $49 in Barquisimeto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Chiang Mai or Barquisimeto?
All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $793 in Barquisimeto – Barquisimeto is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,200 go in Chiang Mai compared to Barquisimeto?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Barquisimeto gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Chiang Mai and Barquisimeto?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How do I decide between Chiang Mai and Barquisimeto?
It comes down to priorities – Barquisimeto wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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