Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cabo Rojo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,236 in Cabo Rojo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in Cabo Rojo despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Rojo
Learn more

Cabo Rojo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Cabo Rojo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Cabo Rojo

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,236 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Cabo Rojo $1,236

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,948 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Cabo Rojo $1,948

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,659 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Cabo Rojo $2,659

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Cabo Rojo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cabo Rojo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$10.02 $10.02

-78.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$83.4 $83.4

-77.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.79 $8.79

-36.29%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.63 $3.63

-54.27%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$1.85 $1.85

-64.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.50 $1.50

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$1.53 $1.53

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.45 $3.45

6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$2.14 $2.14

-5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$3.58 $3.58

-60.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$2.45 $2.45

-43.27%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$7.37 $7.37

-67.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$12.35 $12.35

33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$9.86 $9.86

-72.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$13.20 $13.20

-31.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$5.03 $5.03

-52.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$2.63 $2.63

-60.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.88 $4.88

-65.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.78 $4.78

-67.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$3.89 $3.89

-68.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$3.85 $3.85

-71.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$3.39 $3.39

-77.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$1.59 $1.59

-67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$12.02 $12.02

-65.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$15.43 $15.43

16.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$3.12 $3.12

-48.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$4.03 $4.03

-30.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.53 $2.53

-53.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.52 $1.52

-88.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$42.46 $42.46

-95.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$0.77 $0.77

90.91%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$34.1K $34.1K

-38.41%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$27.7K $27.7K

-4.39%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$325 $325

-80.77%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$65.7 $65.7

-82.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$70.3 $70.3

-71.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$10.69 $10.69

-39.10%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$816 $816

-10.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$12.3K $12.3K

34.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$55.6 $55.6

-3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$62.1 $62.1

-60.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$108 $108

-16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$112 $112

-36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$4,260 $4,260

-86.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.55

-14.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cabo Rojo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Cabo Rojo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Cabo Rojo

$413 33.4% 74.7% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Cabo Rojo

$152 12.3% 40.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cabo Rojo

$461 37.3% 388% $367

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Cabo Rojo

$178 14.4% 133% $102

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Cabo Rojo

$10 * 0.8% 82.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cabo Rojo

$21 * 1.7% 58% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Cabo Rojo are about 7.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $83 in Cabo Rojo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $413 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

50,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cabo Rojo 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cabo Rojo

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 Cabo Rojo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabo Rojo costs about 32% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,855 in Cabo Rojo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. That makes Chiang Mai about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $816 in Cabo Rojo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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