Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Duitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,384 in Duitama, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Duitama, Colombia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Duitama
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,384
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,384 in Duitama, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Duitama $1,384

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,076 in Duitama, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Duitama $2,076

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,767 in Duitama, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Duitama $2,767

Chiang Mai is about 32% cheaper than Duitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Duitama is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$7.99 COP 25.8K
-73.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$43.12 COP 139.2K
-56.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$10.07 COP 32.5K
-44.39%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$2.53 COP 8,181
-34.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.83
$1.27 COP 4,111
-48.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$0.89 COP 2,886
-66.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.4
$2.00 COP 6,462
16.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$4.17 COP 13.5K
-11.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$1.68 COP 5,408
20.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.51
$2.48 COP 8,019
-43.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.96
$1.78 COP 5,759
-21.91%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$3.53 COP 11.4K
-32.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$8.11 COP 26.2K
103.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$7.20 COP 23.3K
-62.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$9.66 COP 31.2K
-6.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$3.68 COP 11.9K
-34.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.13
$1.77 COP 5,707
-41.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.94 COP 6,266
-14.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$1.83 COP 5,904
-14.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.76
$1.42 COP 4,592
-12.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.66
$1.39 COP 4,476
-21.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$1.35 COP 4,357
-43.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.35
$1.20 COP 3,877
-57.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$4.38 COP 14.1K
-5.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$12.74 COP 41.1K
40.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$1.50 COP 4,851
8.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$3.13 COP 10.1K
-9.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.53
$1.07 COP 3,450
-13.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,785
$65.1 COP 210.1K
-18.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.70
$2.38 COP 7,687
-50.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.79
$2.03 COP 6,544
-91.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$9.48 COP 30.6K
-80.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$1.29 COP 4,165
13.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.9K
$34.8K COP 112.4M
-39.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.6K
$34.3K COP 110.8M
-22.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,111
$126 COP 407.5K
-50.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿392
$16.35 COP 52.8K
-29.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$30.51 COP 98.5K
-33.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
$38.36 COP 123.8K
-1.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$7.94 COP 25.6K
-18.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$565 COP 1.8M
28.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.2K
$7,451 COP 24.1M
122.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,807
$86.0 COP 277.7K
-37.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿837
$48.16 COP 155.5K
-48.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,050
$142 COP 457.9K
-36.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$105 COP 340.4K
-31.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$719 COP 2.3M
-33.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
$488 COP 1.6M
-36.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$1,444 COP 4.7M
-26.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
$801 COP 2.6M
-17.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.6K
$2,189 COP 7.1M
10.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
$1,756 COP 5.7M
-8.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Duitama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
12.81
-56.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Duitama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Duitama
$488 57.3% $178
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Duitama
$264 11.7% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Duitama
$172 58.5% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Duitama
$173 83.2% $79
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Duitama
$152 97.9% $75
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Duitama
$82 39.5% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Duitama
$54 6.5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $719 in Duitama. 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 $43 in Duitama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $264 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇴 Duitama
🕒 Local time
09:01 9:01 AM
21:01 9:01 PM
12 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
126,670
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Duitama 17,140 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Duitama

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 Duitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Duitama?
Duitama costs about 48% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Duitama?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,076 in Duitama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Duitama?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $719 in Duitama.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Duitama?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $565 in Duitama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Duitama?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Duitama, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Duitama?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,384 in Duitama. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Duitama?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,384 in Duitama. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Duitama?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 32% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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