Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,445 in Jaco Beach, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
Learn more

Jaco Beach Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Jaco Beach

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,445 in Jaco Beach, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jaco Beach $1,445

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,296 in Jaco Beach, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jaco Beach $2,296

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,147 in Jaco Beach, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jaco Beach $3,147

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Jaco Beach is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$11.32 ₡5,108

-80.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$43.14 ₡19.5K

-55.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.22 ₡4,615

-45.69%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.99 ₡1,800

-58.15%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.40 ₡1,085

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.87 ₡844

-83.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.19 ₡1,442

-26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.33 ₡1,955

-15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.98 ₡892

-1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.19 ₡989

-34.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.39 ₡1,079

-44.35%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.60 ₡1,175

-12.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.78 ₡4,868

52.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$8.88 ₡4,010

-68.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.11 ₡5,468

-23.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.95 ₡2,234

-52.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.66 ₡749

-41.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.75 ₡2,142

-66.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.42 ₡1,545

-56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.50 ₡676

-14.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.42 ₡641

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.99 ₡447

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.99 ₡900

-75.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.01 ₡2,712

-31.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$13.81 ₡6,234

26.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.64 ₡1,192

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.18 ₡986

27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.49 ₡1,125

-53.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.63 ₡735

-67.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.53 ₡3,850

-71.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.57 ₡707

-7.64%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-37.86%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$42.6K ₡19.2M

-36.79%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$79.6 ₡35.9K

-21.85%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.88 ₡10.8K

-49.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$47.69 ₡21.5K

-57.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$52.0 ₡23.5K

-28.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.72 ₡3,485

-15.93%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$479 ₡216.4K

53.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,442 ₡3.4M

98.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$25.50 ₡11.5K

109.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$56.2 ₡25.4K

-56.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$127 ₡57.3K

-27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$133 ₡59.9K

-45.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$748 ₡337.8K

-35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$526 ₡237.3K

-41.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,984 ₡895.8K

-49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,099 ₡496.1K

-42.35%

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

$402 ₡181.4K

46.80%

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 Jaco Beach: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jaco Beach

$526 36.4% 70.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jaco Beach

$326 22.6% 39.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jaco Beach

$154 10.6% 41.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jaco Beach

$151 10.5% 60% $57

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jaco Beach

$211 14.6% 172% $133

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jaco Beach

$11 * 0.7% 82.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jaco Beach

$67 4.7% 34% $17

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 $748 in Jaco Beach. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $43 in Jaco Beach. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $326 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

08:01 8:01 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Jaco Beach 16,830 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jaco Beach

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach costs about 54% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,167 in Jaco Beach. 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 $482 there versus $748 in Jaco Beach.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $43 in Jaco Beach. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Jaco Beach, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,445 in Jaco Beach. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,445 in Jaco Beach. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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