Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manati

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,214 in Manati, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Manati despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Manati
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Manati Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Manati

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,214 in Manati, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Manati $1,214

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,855 in Manati, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Manati $1,855

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,497 in Manati, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Manati $2,497

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Manati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Manati are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Manati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$9.83 $9.83

-78.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$59.3 $59.3

-68.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.92 $7.92

-29.29%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.05 $2.05

-19.02%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.99 $0.99

-34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.02 $1.02

-70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$1.53 $1.53

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.93 $2.93

25.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$2.18 $2.18

-7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$3.60 $3.60

-60.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$2.45 $2.45

-43.27%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$7.72 $7.72

-69.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$12.75 $12.75

29.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$9.34 $9.34

-71.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$13.27 $13.27

-32.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$5.12 $5.12

-53.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$2.65 $2.65

-60.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.90 $4.90

-66.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.69 $4.69

-66.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$3.75 $3.75

-66.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$4.02 $4.02

-72.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$3.48 $3.48

-78.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$1.59 $1.59

-67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$12.09 $12.09

-65.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$15.72 $15.72

14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$2.97 $2.97

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$3.94 $3.94

-28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.46 $2.46

-52.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.46 $1.46

-88.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$41.88 $41.88

-95.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.20 $1.20

22.50%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$34.6K $34.6K

-39.26%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$28.0K $28.0K

-5.32%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$326 $326

-80.83%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$69.2 $69.2

-83.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$70.7 $70.7

-71.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$10.45 $10.45

-37.70%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$835 $835

-12.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$12.1K $12.1K

37.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$57.1 $57.1

-6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$62.1 $62.1

-60.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$108 $108

-15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$116 $116

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.55

-14.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Manati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Manati

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Manati

$414 34.1% 75.1% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Manati

$154 12.7% 42.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Manati

$466 38.4% 394% $372

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Manati

$149 12.2% 94% $72

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Manati

$9.8 * 0.8% 83.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Manati

$21 * 1.7% 58.9% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $59 in Manati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $414 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇷 Manati

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

22:17 10:17 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

10,974

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Manati 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manati

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 Manati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manati costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,821 in Manati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $59 in Manati. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Manati, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,214 in Manati. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,214 in Manati. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.