Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maldonado

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,368 in Maldonado, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,368 in Maldonado, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Maldonado $1,368

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,178 in Maldonado, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Maldonado $2,178

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,988 in Maldonado, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Maldonado $2,988

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

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Maldonado is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$14.87 UYU 597

-84.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$54.9 UYU 2,202

-64.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$13.91 UYU 558

-59.67%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.57 UYU 183

-63.68%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.65 UYU 106

-73.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$2.10 UYU 84.2

-85.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.95 UYU 118

-18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.62 UYU 145

2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.13 UYU 45.19

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.70 UYU 109

-47.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.77 UYU 71.1

-25.99%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.98 UYU 160

-45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$14.11 UYU 566

18.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$11.31 UYU 454

-75.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.61 UYU 466

-21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.79 UYU 112

-14.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.14 UYU 86.0

-51.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.15 UYU 126

-52.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$2.00 UYU 80.2

-35.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.43 UYU 57.4

-49.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$1.95 UYU 78.3

-72.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.51 UYU 221

-21.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.13 UYU 326

120.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.32 UYU 93.3

-31.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.71 UYU 109

4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.41 UYU 56.8

-39.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$48.89 UYU 1,962

8.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.40 UYU 136

-64.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.44 UYU 17.53

29.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$10.25 UYU 411

-77.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$2.24 UYU 89.9

-35.71%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

-22.14%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-27.52%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$116 UYU 4,644

-46.13%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$19.18 UYU 770

-36.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$45.04 UYU 1,808

-55.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$48.23 UYU 1,936

-23.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$30.20 UYU 1,212

-87.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$12.05 UYU 484

-46.06%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$496 UYU 19.9K

59.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,515 UYU 261.5K

127.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$90.3 UYU 3,625

-40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$37.34 UYU 1,498

-34.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$125 UYU 5,014

-27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$118 UYU 4,729

-39.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$426 UYU 17.1K

6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$315 UYU 12.7K

-5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$919 UYU 36.9K

-1.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$601 UYU 24.1K

-7.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,803 UYU 112.5K

-31.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,541 UYU 61.8K

-6.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,014 UYU 40.7K

-41.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Maldonado

$315 23.1% 5.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Maldonado

$317 23.2% 34.6% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Maldonado

$167 12.2% 54.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Maldonado

$180 13.2% 90.6% $86

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Maldonado

$257 18.8% 226% $178

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Maldonado

$60 4.4% 1.1% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Maldonado

$72 5.3% 44.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $426 in Maldonado. 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 72% higher in Maldonado, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $55.0 in Maldonado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $317 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

09:28 9:28 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

62,592

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Maldonado 16,890 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Maldonado

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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,052 in Maldonado. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $496 in Maldonado. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Maldonado, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Maldonado at $1,368. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maldonado it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,368 in Maldonado. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maldonado makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.