Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,520 in Cartagena, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Cartagena $1,520

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,565 in Cartagena, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Cartagena $2,565

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,610 in Cartagena, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Cartagena $3,610

Chiang Mai is about 38% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Cartagena is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$5.63 COP 18.2K

-62.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$142 COP 457.5K

-86.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-45.04%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$4.44 COP 14.3K

-62.61%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$2.44 COP 7,876

-73.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$2.23 COP 7,198

-86.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-27.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$5.06 COP 16.3K

-27.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.90 COP 6,121

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$2.78 COP 8,970

-49.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.43 COP 4,615

-2.80%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-52.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$13.42 COP 43.3K

23.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$17.30 COP 55.9K

-84.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$2.06 COP 6,639

-75.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$14.10 COP 45.5K

27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.39 COP 4,503

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$1.25 COP 4,027

-25.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

$67.0 COP 216.1K

-21.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-95.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$9.53 COP 30.8K

-81.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.34 COP 4,341

9.70%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$33.9K COP 109.5M

-38.05%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$35.0K COP 113.1M

-24.30%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$79.0 COP 254.9K

-20.78%

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

$11.60 ฿392

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$54.8 COP 177.0K

-30.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$8.10 COP 26.1K

-19.63%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$630 COP 2.0M

15.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$12.0K COP 38.6M

38.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,347 COP 4.3M

-64.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$842 COP 2.7M

-63.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$2,468 COP 8.0M

-57.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$1,580 COP 5.1M

-58.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$921 COP 3.0M

74.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$464 COP 1.5M

28.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,347 in Cartagena. 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 28% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $142 in Cartagena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $259 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

13:56 1:56 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Cartagena 16,710 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cartagena

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 62% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,279 in Cartagena. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $630 in Cartagena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Cartagena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,520 in Cartagena. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $935 versus $1,520 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.