Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and the Galapagos Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $620 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
43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in the Galapagos Islands

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 the Galapagos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $884 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Galapagos Islands $884

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,336 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Galapagos Islands $1,336

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,789 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Galapagos Islands $1,789

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Galapagos Islands are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Galapagos Islands 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$3.54 $3.54

-36.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$27.52 $27.52

-30.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.27 $7.27

-23.66%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.50 $2.50

-33.20%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.85 $0.85

-24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.66 $0.66

-53.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.04 $2.04

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.54 $3.54

3.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.09 $1.09

78.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.62 $1.62

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.57 $1.57

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.17 $2.17

5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$5.42 $5.42

203.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.55 $5.55

-49.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.21 $6.21

49.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.02 $2.02

16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.16 $1.16

-16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.08 $1.08

48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.07 $1.07

40.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.45 $1.45

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.03 $1.03

6.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.51 $0.51

39.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.99 $0.99

-50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.86 $5.86

-29.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$9.92 $9.92

76.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.51 $1.51

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.53 $2.53

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.37 $0.37

135.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$24.14 $24.14

124.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.48 $1.48

-21.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.01 $1.01

-47.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$9.92 $9.92

-75.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.66 $0.66

119.70%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

-16.73%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$28.4K $28.4K

-5.10%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$39.48 $39.48

57.47%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$13.57 $13.57

-10.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$31.19 $31.19

-35.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$29.46 $29.46

26.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.80 $14.80

-74.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.18 $7.18

-9.61%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$253 $253

191.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,750 $5,750

156.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$55.7 $55.7

-4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$43.02 $43.02

-42.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$98.0 $98.0

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$75.9 $75.9

-5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$340 $340

41.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$314 $314

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$633 $633

59.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$499 $499

26.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,218 $1,218

93.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$998 $998

59.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5% 1.5% $4.6

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9% 21.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9% 12.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5% 10.8% $10

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7% 33.2% $26

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6% 47.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Galapagos Islands

$44 5% 12.8% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $340 in the Galapagos Islands. 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 $28 in the Galapagos Islands. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $184 in the Galapagos Islands – so Galapagos Islands wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

01:34 1:34 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

32,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Galapagos Islands 17,750 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Galapagos Islands

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 Galapagos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,326 in the Galapagos Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $253 in the Galapagos Islands. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $884 in the Galapagos Islands, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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