Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manizales

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,275 in Manizales, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,275 in Manizales, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Manizales $1,275

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,924 in Manizales, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Manizales $1,924

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,573 in Manizales, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Manizales $2,573

Chiang Mai is about 26% cheaper than Manizales, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Manizales are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Manizales 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$6.21 COP 19.7K

-63.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$42.01 COP 133.2K

-54.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$10.24 COP 32.5K

-45.41%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.45 COP 7,753

-29.80%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.37 COP 4,352

-53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.87 COP 2,744

-62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.58 COP 5,000

49.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.52 COP 8,003

54.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.63 COP 5,160

25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.42 COP 7,658

-42.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.71 COP 5,411

-25.15%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.39 COP 10.8K

-33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.12 COP 25.8K

108.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$7.16 COP 22.7K

-61.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.91 COP 31.4K

-5.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.44 COP 10.9K

-30.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.85 COP 5,860

-45.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.91 COP 6,072

-15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.72 COP 5,462

-11.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.41 COP 4,470

-9.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.42 COP 4,507

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.30 COP 4,125

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.14 COP 3,619

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.50 COP 14.3K

-3.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$12.32 COP 39.1K

43.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.41 COP 4,467

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.91 COP 9,234

-2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.99 COP 3,146

-14.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.53 COP 4,856

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.55 COP 4,908

-63.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$9.27 COP 29.4K

-74.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.35 COP 4,269

7.41%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$23.2K COP 73.7M

-11.87%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$34.9K COP 110.5M

-23.92%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$121 COP 384.5K

-48.60%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$11.79 COP 37.4K

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$29.70 COP 94.2K

-32.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$47.38 COP 150.2K

-19.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.03 COP 25.5K

-16.44%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$501 COP 1.6M

59.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$7,403 COP 23.5M

100.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$84.7 COP 268.6K

-37.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$47.88 COP 151.8K

-47.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$142 COP 450.7K

-35.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$108 COP 341.7K

-31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$467 COP 1.5M

-0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$473 COP 1.5M

-35.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$828 COP 2.6M

10.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$799 COP 2.5M

-30.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,064 COP 6.5M

-7.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$2,059 COP 6.5M

-30.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,197 COP 3.8M

-50.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-53.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manizales: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Manizales

$473 37.1% 55.2% $168

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Manizales

$259 20.3% 8.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Manizales

$172 13.5% 57.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Manizales

$163 12.8% 72.1% $68

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Manizales

$132 10.3% 66.6% $53

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Manizales

$13 * 1% 78.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Manizales

$63 5% 23.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $467 in Manizales. 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 101% higher in Manizales, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $42.00 in Manizales. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $259 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇴 Manizales

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

13:47 1:47 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

458,442

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Manizales 17,290 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manizales

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 Manizales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manizales costs about 36% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,912 in Manizales. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $42.00 in Manizales. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Manizales, 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 $938, than in Manizales at $1,275. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manizales it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,275 in Manizales. 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, Manizales makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.