Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,439 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
Learn more

Barranquilla Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,439 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Barranquilla $1,439

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,247 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Barranquilla $2,247

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,056 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Barranquilla $3,056

Chiang Mai is about 37% cheaper than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Barranquilla is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$8.66 COP 27.6K

-75.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$62.1 COP 198.0K

-68.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$13.40 COP 42.7K

-59.18%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.62 COP 8,356

-35.88%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$1.35 COP 4,298

-51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$1.23 COP 3,929

-72.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$3.04 COP 9,679

-20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$7.70 COP 24.5K

-51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.90 COP 2,875

128.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$1.24 COP 3,966

17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.52 COP 4,834

-11.18%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$2.04 COP 6,509

11.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$4.77 COP 15.2K

241.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$17.28 COP 55.1K

-84.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$6.84 COP 21.8K

34.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$2.19 COP 6,985

9.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$0.95 COP 3,031

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$0.58 COP 1,862

175.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$1.87 COP 5,948

-22.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$1.20 COP 3,831

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.95 COP 3,019

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$1.25 COP 3,971

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.95 COP 3,017

-46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$5.02 COP 16.0K

-17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$12.31 COP 39.2K

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.50 COP 4,783

8.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$4.52 COP 14.4K

-36.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$1.13 COP 3,615

-23.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$3.31 COP 10.6K

-63.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$3.01 COP 9,582

-81.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$15.51 COP 49.4K

-85.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.29 COP 4,122

16.28%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$21.3K COP 68.0M

-2.23%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$27.9K COP 88.9M

-4.18%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$148 COP 471.7K

-58.62%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$14.29 COP 45.5K

-12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$32.19 COP 102.6K

-36.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$33.20 COP 105.8K

14.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$4.47 COP 14.2K

47.65%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$301 COP 959.1K

157.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$4,623 COP 14.7M

212.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$109 COP 346.3K

-49.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$46.51 COP 148.2K

-45.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$181 COP 577.5K

-50.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$245 COP 781.3K

-70.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$760 COP 2.4M

-39.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$489 COP 1.6M

-39.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$796 COP 2.5M

15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$883 COP 2.8M

-37.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$1,793 COP 5.7M

6.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$616 COP 2.0M

134.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$502 COP 1.6M

17.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Barranquilla

$489 33.9% 66.4% $195

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Barranquilla

$248 17.2% 5.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Barranquilla

$262 18.2% 139% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Barranquilla

$195 13.5% 107% $100

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Barranquilla

$182 12.6% 135% $105

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Barranquilla

$23 * 1.6% 62.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Barranquilla

$42 2.9% 17.6% $9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $760 in Barranquilla. 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 18% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $62.0 in Barranquilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $248 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Barranquilla 16,630 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 59% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,158 in Barranquilla. 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 $906 in Chiang Mai and $1,439 in Barranquilla. That's a gap of about 59%.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $301 in Barranquilla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Barranquilla at $1,439. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,439 in Barranquilla. 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, Barranquilla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.