Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Granada, Nicaragua

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Granada: $936 and $916 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Granada, Nicaragua
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Granada
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
$916
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $916 in Granada, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Granada $916

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,281 in Granada, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Granada $1,281

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,645 in Granada, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Granada $1,645

Chiang Mai and Granada have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Granada are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Granada 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$4.32 NIO 158
-48.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$23.86 NIO 874
-20.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$7.11 NIO 260
-21.94%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$1.70 NIO 62.3
-1.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$0.87 NIO 31.74
-26.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$0.63 NIO 23.10
-50.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$1.33 NIO 48.60
77.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$1.98 NIO 72.7
84.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.25 NIO 45.96
56.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$1.54 NIO 56.5
-6.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$0.57 NIO 20.75
133.33%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$1.23 NIO 44.87
85.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$4.82 NIO 176
241.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$5.08 NIO 186
-45.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$7.89 NIO 289
18.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$4.06 NIO 149
-42.12%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$0.57 NIO 20.99
70.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.78 NIO 65.2
-10.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.01 NIO 37.06
48.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$2.78 NIO 102
-53.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$1.02 NIO 37.42
7.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$1.01 NIO 37.08
-29.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$1.06 NIO 38.76
-53.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$2.70 NIO 98.7
53.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$10.07 NIO 369
73.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.47 NIO 53.8
9.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.72 NIO 63.0
61.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
$0.09 NIO 3.47
866.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
$4.11 NIO 150
1216.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$0.58 NIO 21.18
100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$1.67 NIO 61.1
-68.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$6.97 NIO 255
-65.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.27 NIO 46.58
14.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$23.3K NIO 852.6K
-9.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$26.4K NIO 968.5K
1.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$152 NIO 5,566
-59.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$19.39 NIO 710
-37.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$32.83 NIO 1,202
-38.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$8.85 NIO 324
-26.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$233 NIO 8,547
215.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$5,984 NIO 219.2K
146.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$15.06 NIO 552
254.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$30.58 NIO 1,120
-19.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$34.76 NIO 1,273
163.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$35.08 NIO 1,285
105.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$417 NIO 15.3K
15.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$344 NIO 12.6K
-10.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
$787 NIO 28.8K
27.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$506 NIO 18.5K
25.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Granada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$133 NIO 4,858
344.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.92
-53.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Granada: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Granada
$344 11.2% $35
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Granada
$193 17.8% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Granada
$52 52.2% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Granada
$204 116% $110
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Granada
$93 19.8% $15
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Granada
$13 78.1% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Granada
$18 * 64.8% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $417 in Granada. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $24 in Granada. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Granada – so Granada wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇳🇮 Granada
🕒 Local time
03:01 3:01 AM
14:01 2:01 PM
13 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
128,937
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 40.77 NIO (100 NIO = 2.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Granada 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Granada

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 Granada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Granada?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,375 in Granada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Granada?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Granada, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $417 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Granada?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $24 in Granada. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Chiang Mai compared to Granada?
Public transport costs about 92% less in Granada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Chiang Mai or in Granada?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $916 in Granada, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Granada?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Granada costs $916 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Granada?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Granada?
If budget matters most, go with Granada. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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