Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $784 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
Learn more

Maracaibo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $784 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Maracaibo $784

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,297 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Maracaibo $1,297

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,811 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Maracaibo $1,811

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Maracaibo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$10.33 VES 9,159

-78.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$39.75 VES 35.2K

-52.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.77 VES 7,774

-36.72%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.75 VES 2,441

-39.27%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.15 VES 1,020

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.31 VES 1,159

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.21 VES 1,963

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.08 VES 2,728

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.97 VES 1,744

-1.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.11 VES 1,874

-31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.07 VES 953

24.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.78 VES 3,350

-39.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$6.55 VES 5,808

151.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.38 VES 5,660

-56.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.37 VES 6,532

26.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$4.82 VES 4,277

-51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.36 VES 1,202

-28.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.56 VES 1,385

2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.36 VES 1,205

10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.23 VES 1,095

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.74 VES 1,543

-36.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.02 VES 903

-30.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.98 VES 1,757

-75.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.93 VES 2,597

41.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$9.08 VES 8,054

92.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.09 VES 967

47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.62 VES 2,325

6.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.47 VES 416

85.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$42.53 VES 37.7K

27.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$4.08 VES 3,621

-71.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.95 VES 1,729

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$17.66 VES 15.7K

-86.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.74 VES 657

95.95%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$15.2K VES 13.4M

38.97%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$27.6K VES 24.5M

-2.35%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$62.5 VES 55.4K

-0.46%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$7.45 VES 6,604

63.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$25.27 VES 22.4K

-20.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$33.17 VES 29.4K

12.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$28.71 VES 25.5K

-86.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.89 VES 4,332

32.72%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$148 VES 131.0K

398.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$7,133 VES 6.3M

106.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$27.31 VES 24.2K

95.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$32.34 VES 28.7K

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$61.9 VES 54.9K

47.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$56.7 VES 50.2K

26.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$159 VES 141.2K

202.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$95.2 VES 84.4K

224.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$301 VES 266.8K

234.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$196 VES 174.0K

222.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$765 VES 678.3K

208.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$508 VES 450.0K

213.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$215 VES 190.8K

174.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 69.2% $214

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Maracaibo

$243 31% 3.7% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Maracaibo

$80 10.2% 26.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 0.8% $0.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Maracaibo

$169 21.6% 118% $91

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Maracaibo

$58 7.4% 5.1% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Maracaibo

$43 5.5% 14.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $159 in Maracaibo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in Maracaibo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

05:41 5:41 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 887 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 989 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Maracaibo 16,580 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Maracaibo

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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Maracaibo, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,176 in Maracaibo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracaibo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $159 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $148 in Maracaibo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

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

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