Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Candelaria

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,327 in Candelaria, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. The total is higher in Candelaria despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Candelaria
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Candelaria Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Candelaria

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,327 in Candelaria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Candelaria $1,327

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,085 in Candelaria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Candelaria $2,085

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,844 in Candelaria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Candelaria $2,844

Chiang Mai is about 29% cheaper than Candelaria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Candelaria are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Candelaria 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$19.01 $19.01

-88.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$81.5 $81.5

-76.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.21 $9.21

-39.74%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.70 $3.70

-54.86%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.88 $1.88

-65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.46 $1.46

-78.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.06 $3.06

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.97 $4.97

-26.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.16 $2.16

-9.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.54 $3.54

-59.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.33 $2.33

-42.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$7.19 $7.19

-68.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$12.35 $12.35

33.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$9.91 $9.91

-71.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.47 $13.47

-30.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$5.11 $5.11

-54.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.57 $2.57

-62.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.82 $4.82

-66.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.87 $4.87

-69.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.71 $3.71

-65.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.97 $3.97

-72.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.38 $3.38

-78.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.66 $1.66

-70.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$12.10 $12.10

-65.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$15.81 $15.81

10.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.12 $3.12

-48.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.09 $4.09

-32.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.46 $2.46

-52.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.51 $1.51

-64.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$41.21 $41.21

-94.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.17 $1.17

23.93%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-38.12%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

-4.60%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$326 $326

-80.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$68.8 $68.8

-82.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$69.4 $69.4

-71.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.69 $10.69

-39.29%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$806 $806

-8.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$12.3K $12.3K

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$55.7 $55.7

-4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$61.3 $61.3

-59.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$110 $110

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$114 $114

-37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Candelaria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Candelaria

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Candelaria

$415 31.3% 76.9% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Candelaria

$153 11.6% 41.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Candelaria

$464 35% 392% $370

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Candelaria

$263 19.8% 239% $185

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Candelaria

$10 * 0.8% 83.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Candelaria

$21 * 1.6% 57.5% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $81 in Candelaria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $415 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇷 Candelaria

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

13:59 1:59 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

17,631

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Candelaria 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Candelaria

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 Candelaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $1,327 in Candelaria – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,990 in Candelaria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,327 in Candelaria. That’s a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $806 in Candelaria. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,327 in Candelaria. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,327 in Candelaria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.