Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cartago, Colombia

Name: Cartago
Address: Cartago, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,322 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,322 in Cartago, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Cartago $1,322

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,013 in Cartago, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Cartago $2,013

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,703 in Cartago, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Cartago $2,703

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

Both Chiang Mai and Cartago are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cartago 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$5.22 COP 16.8K

-59.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$57.1 COP 184.3K

-67.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$6.37 COP 20.6K

-12.09%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$3.05 COP 9,836

-45.57%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$2.45 COP 7,906

-73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$2.27 COP 7,338

-86.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$3.55 COP 11.4K

-34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.63 COP 11.7K

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.67 COP 5,407

20.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$1.80 COP 5,798

-21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.74 COP 5,618

-20.11%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$3.16 COP 10.2K

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$9.12 COP 29.5K

81.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$9.32 COP 30.1K

-71.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$11.27 COP 36.4K

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$3.76 COP 12.1K

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.24 COP 4,010

-16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.38 COP 4,444

20.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.91 COP 6,169

-18.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$1.67 COP 5,404

-25.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.64 COP 5,291

-33.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.96 COP 3,084

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.92 COP 2,968

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.36 COP 14.1K

-5.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$16.90 COP 54.6K

6.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.52 COP 4,895

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.91 COP 6,161

47.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$1.11 COP 3,596

-16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

$65.8 COP 212.3K

-19.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.14 COP 3,673

3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.57 COP 1,826

-70.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$3.33 COP 10.7K

-45.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.36 COP 4,376

8.09%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$34.7K COP 112.1M

-39.49%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$34.9K COP 112.8M

-24.12%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$101 COP 326.0K

-38.04%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$15.19 COP 49.1K

-23.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$27.03 COP 87.3K

-24.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$37.99 COP 122.7K

-0.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.18 COP 16.7K

25.68%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$416 COP 1.3M

74.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$11.6K COP 37.3M

43.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$82.1 COP 264.9K

-34.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$43.82 COP 141.5K

-43.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$115 COP 372.3K

-21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$101 COP 325.2K

-28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$718 COP 2.3M

-33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$490 COP 1.6M

-36.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$1,427 COP 4.6M

-25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$780 COP 2.5M

-15.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$2,259 COP 7.3M

7.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,786 COP 5.8M

-9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.88

-59.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cartago: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Cartago

$490 37% 58% $180

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Cartago

$272 20.6% 14.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Cartago

$154 11.6% 42.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cartago

$143 10.8% 51.6% $49

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Cartago

$141 10.7% 84.5% $65

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Cartago

$74 5.6% 26.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cartago

$48 3.7% 5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $718 in Cartago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $57 in Cartago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $272 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

14:49 2:49 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

135,365

💱 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 = 37.73 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 = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cartago 17,340 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartago is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,983 in Cartago. 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 $718 in Cartago.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,322 in Cartago. That makes Chiang Mai about 29% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,322 in Cartago. 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 $1,322 in Cartago. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.