Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $895 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $490 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Manglaralto
Learn more

Manglaralto Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Manglaralto

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $895 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Manglaralto $895

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,456 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Manglaralto $1,456

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,018 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Manglaralto $2,018

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Manglaralto are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Manglaralto 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.08 $4.08

-45.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$52.2 $52.2

-63.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.18 $9.18

-39.54%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.92 $2.92

-42.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.93 $0.93

-31.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.70 $0.70

-55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.93 $2.93

-19.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.28 $4.28

-14.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.22 $1.22

59.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.91 $1.91

-24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.40 $1.40

-5.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.04 $2.04

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.80 $6.80

141.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.05 $5.05

-44.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.26 $9.26

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.51 $1.51

55.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.18 $1.18

-17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.02 $1.02

56.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.96 $0.96

56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.28 $1.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.98 $0.98

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.83 $0.83

-14.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.97 $0.97

-49.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.87 $5.87

-29.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.99 $11.99

46.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.50 $1.50

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.20 $2.20

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.39 $0.39

123.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.69 $2.69

-56.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.79 $1.79

-70.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$11.76 $11.76

-79.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.89 $0.89

62.92%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$22.7K $22.7K

-7.17%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$30.7K $30.7K

-12.19%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$34.62 $34.62

79.58%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.91 $9.91

22.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$25.90 $25.90

-22.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$30.39 $30.39

22.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$15.84 $15.84

-76.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.36 $7.36

-11.82%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$376 $376

95.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$5,680 $5,680

159.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$66.5 $66.5

-19.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$41.25 $41.25

-40.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$123 $123

-25.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$92.1 $92.1

-21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$466 $466

3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$297 $297

3.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$850 $850

18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$535 $535

18.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Manglaralto

$297 33.3% 3.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Manglaralto

$199 22.2% 15.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Manglaralto

$145 16.2% 33.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Manglaralto

$70 7.9% 25.4% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Manglaralto

$125 14% 61.1% $47

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Manglaralto

$13 * 1.5% 78.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Manglaralto

$45 5% 10.3% $5.2

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 $466 in Manglaralto. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Manglaralto. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $199 in Manglaralto – so Manglaralto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇨 Manglaralto

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

17:59 5:59 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Manglaralto 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manglaralto

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 Manglaralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,342 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $466 in Manglaralto. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $52 in Manglaralto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Manglaralto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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