Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Caranavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Caranavi: $615 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Caranavi
Learn more

Caranavi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Caranavi

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $615 in Caranavi.

Chiang Mai $935
Caranavi $615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $889 in Caranavi.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Caranavi $889

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,163 in Caranavi.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Caranavi $1,163

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 52% more expensive than in Caranavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Caranavi 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$1.39 BOB 16.76

53.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$9.03 BOB 109

106.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$3.94 BOB 47.53

42.13%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.70 BOB 20.51

-2.35%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.41 BOB 4.90

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.29 BOB 3.44

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$0.88 BOB 10.61

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.29 BOB 27.61

60.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.69 BOB 8.31

192.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.81 BOB 9.76

74.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$0.73 BOB 8.82

90.41%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$0.49 BOB 5.87

383.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$3.51 BOB 42.30

370.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$1.08 BOB 13.07

147.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$3.42 BOB 41.19

163.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.67 BOB 20.16

43.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$0.54 BOB 6.47

92.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.48 BOB 5.79

245.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.70 BOB 8.40

122.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.55 BOB 6.58

125.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.44 BOB 5.28

147.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.50 BOB 6.03

52.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.58 BOB 6.93

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.88 BOB 22.68

119.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$3.02 BOB 36.36

493.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.25 BOB 15.11

29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.55 BOB 18.64

81.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.29 BOB 3.44

220.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$8.22 BOB 99.1

543.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$0.81 BOB 9.80

45.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.83 BOB 9.95

-79.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$8.65 BOB 104

-79.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$0.47 BOB 5.64

212.77%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$8,267 BOB 99.6K

154.18%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$11.9K BOB 143.4K

122.89%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$22.97 BOB 277

172.36%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$14.40 BOB 174

-19.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$18.48 BOB 223

9.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$8.25 BOB 99.4

359.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$12.55 BOB 151

-70.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$3.86 BOB 46.46

68.65%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$85.3 BOB 1,028

752.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$1,305 BOB 15.7K

1169.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$15.90 BOB 192

236.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$17.50 BOB 211

41.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$28.53 BOB 344

216.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$35.46 BOB 427

102.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$496 BOB 5,977

-2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$340 BOB 4,095

-8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$662 BOB 7,974

59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$571 BOB 6,875

15.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$211 BOB 2,544

181.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.94

-29.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Caranavi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Caranavi

$340 55.3% 9.6% $30

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Caranavi

$90 14.6% 62% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Caranavi

$44 7.1% 59.5% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Caranavi

$56 9.1% 40.9% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Caranavi

$55 9% 28% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Caranavi

$14 2.3% 75.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Caranavi

$16 2.6% 68.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $496 in Caranavi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $9 in Caranavi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $90 per month, with Caranavi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇴 Caranavi

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

04:16 4:16 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,569

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 BOB = 8.3 USD

100 BOB = 7.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 12.05 BOB (100 BOB = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13.51 BOB (100 BOB = 7.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Caranavi 18,550 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Caranavi

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 Caranavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caranavi is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $496 in Caranavi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caranavi – a meal for two runs $9 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $615 in Caranavi – Caranavi is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Caranavi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Caranavi wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.