Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cartago, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,733 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/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.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,733 in Cartago.

Chiang Mai $936
Cartago $1,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,363 in Cartago.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Cartago $2,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,993 in Cartago.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Cartago $2,993

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 46% less than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Cartago is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$8.61 ₡3,886

-73.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$35.63 ₡16.1K

-46.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.75 ₡4,400

-43.08%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.55 ₡2,056

-63.30%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.24 ₡1,013

-71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.37 ₡618

-77.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.15 ₡972

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.20 ₡1,896

-12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.39 ₡1,079

-18.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.48 ₡1,118

-41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.42 ₡1,093

-45.04%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.59 ₡1,622

-36.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.73 ₡3,940

88.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.61 ₡4,788

-73.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.93 ₡6,288

-33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$5.05 ₡2,279

-53.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.33 ₡601

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.37 ₡1,975

-63.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.99 ₡1,350

-49.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.16 ₡977

-40.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.25 ₡1,015

-51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.07 ₡484

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$2.18 ₡985

-77.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.98 ₡2,700

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$15.61 ₡7,047

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.85 ₡1,286

-43.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.02 ₡911

37.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.27 ₡571

-31.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$74.1 ₡33.5K

-27.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.31 ₡591

-11.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.57 ₡711

-66.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.73 ₡3,941

-72.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.50 ₡675

-3.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$34.7K ₡15.7M

-39.29%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-36.28%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$53.0 ₡23.9K

17.30%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$36.31 ₡16.4K

-66.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$60.0 ₡27.1K

-66.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$68.0 ₡30.7K

-45.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$77.5 ₡35.0K

-95.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.16 ₡3,234

-9.36%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$559 ₡252.2K

31.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,872 ₡3.6M

87.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$72.8 ₡32.9K

-26.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$56.8 ₡25.7K

-56.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$121 ₡54.8K

-24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$87.1 ₡39.3K

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$733 ₡331.0K

-34.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$725 ₡327.1K

-57.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,920 ₡866.9K

-47.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$702 ₡316.8K

-9.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,305 ₡589.0K

-54.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Cartago

$725 41.8% 135% $416

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Cartago

$350 20.2% 49.5% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Cartago

$152 8.8% 40.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cartago

$149 8.6% 58.1% $55

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Cartago

$186 10.8% 140% $109

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 44% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cartago

$82 4.8% 63.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $733 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $36 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $350 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

19:45 7:45 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

110,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cartago 16,810 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

Chiang Mai is about 46% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $733 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 27% less than in Cartago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $559 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Cartago are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.