Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Latacunga

For one person, living is cheaper in Latacunga: $782 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Latacunga
Learn more

Latacunga Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Latacunga

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $782 in Latacunga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Latacunga $782

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,269 in Latacunga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Latacunga $1,269

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,756 in Latacunga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Latacunga $1,756

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Latacunga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Latacunga are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Latacunga 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.55 $2.55

-11.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿643

$28.41 $28.41

-32.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$9.03 $9.03

-38.10%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.8

$2.79 $2.79

-38.35%

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

$0.64 ฿21.60

$0.87 $0.87

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.21

$0.48 $0.48

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.0

$3.05 $3.05

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$4.28 $4.28

-8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.8

$1.18 $1.18

73.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.83

$2.01 $2.01

-30.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.01

$0.98 $0.98

30.61%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.75 $1.75

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

$4.87 $4.87

247.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.9

$5.09 $5.09

-46.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$9.37 $9.37

-0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.5

$1.49 $1.49

61.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.01

$1.18 $1.18

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.0

$1.03 $1.03

56.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.96 $0.96

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.02

$1.03 $1.03

24.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.32

$0.91 $0.91

21.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.16

$0.52 $0.52

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.58

$1.02 $1.02

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.90 $5.90

-26.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿594

$10.09 $10.09

75.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$1.46 $1.46

11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.6

$2.22 $2.22

28.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.39

$0.37 $0.37

129.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,806

$16.94 $16.94

218.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.28

$1.32 $1.32

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.05

$1.78 $1.78

-67.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.4

$12.05 $12.05

-80.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.66 $0.66

119.70%

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

$20.5K ฿686.1K

$20.7K $20.7K

-1.12%

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

$26.5K ฿888.5K

$31.3K $31.3K

-15.17%

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

$62.3 ฿2,089

$39.72 $39.72

56.92%

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

$12.27 ฿411

$14.95 $14.95

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿669

$26.59 $26.59

-24.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,271

$27.47 $27.47

38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$17.83 $17.83

-78.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$7.57 $7.57

-11.36%

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

$797 ฿26.7K

$378 $378

110.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.0K

$5,776 $5,776

156.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,785

$64.5 $64.5

-17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿839

$40.29 $40.29

-37.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,070

$126 $126

-27.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,462

$91.6 $91.6

-19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$295 $295

57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$188 $188

61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$723 $723

26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$407 $407

35.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

$1,068 $1,068

78.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.2K

$739 $739

94.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿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 13, 2026

Last update for Latacunga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Latacunga

$188 24.1% 38.2% $116

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Latacunga

$186 23.7% 22% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Latacunga

$145 18.6% 32.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Latacunga

$81 10.4% 14.1% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Latacunga

$110 14.1% 39.5% $31

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Latacunga

$29 3.7% 53.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Latacunga

$43 5.5% 17% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $295 in Latacunga. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $28.00 in Latacunga. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $186 in Latacunga – so Latacunga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇨 Latacunga

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

13:35 1:35 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

57,127

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.51 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.53 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Latacunga 18,010 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Latacunga

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 Latacunga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Latacunga, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,173 in Latacunga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Latacunga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $378 in Latacunga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Latacunga, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Latacunga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Latacunga costs $782 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Latacunga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.