Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
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Chiang Mai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
Learn more

Maracay Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $735 in Maracay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Maracay $735

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,245 in Maracay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Maracay $1,245

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,755 in Maracay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Maracay $1,755

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Maracay are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Maracay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.93 VES 4,366

-54.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$32.44 VES 28.7K

-41.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.96 VES 7,056

-30.28%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.62 VES 1,439

3.09%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.21 VES 1,069

-47.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.19 VES 1,058

-73.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.17 VES 1,035

101.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.96 VES 2,627

23.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.68 VES 2,371

-27.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.33 VES 2,066

-38.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.03 VES 916

29.13%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.72 VES 2,411

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.55 VES 5,807

151.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.59 VES 4,951

-50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.14 VES 7,210

14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.10 VES 3,636

-42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.05 VES 1,818

-52.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.15 VES 1,903

-25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.27 VES 2,013

-33.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.32 VES 2,053

-44.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.19 VES 1,944

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.62 VES 1,433

-56.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$2.27 VES 2,015

-78.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.52 VES 2,231

64.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$9.88 VES 8,750

77.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.13 VES 1,001

42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.72 VES 1,525

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.48 VES 424

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$20.18 VES 17.9K

168.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.02 VES 2,675

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.71 VES 2,398

-80.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.94 VES 8,808

-75.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.69 VES 610

110.14%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$25.0K VES 22.2M

-15.83%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$39.3K VES 34.8M

-31.46%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$12.72 VES 11.3K

388.76%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.71 VES 10.4K

3.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$38.69 VES 34.3K

-48.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$29.13 VES 25.8K

28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$15.30 VES 13.6K

-75.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.97 VES 3,516

63.48%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$75.3 VES 66.7K

877.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$5,991 VES 5.3M

146.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$52.4 VES 46.4K

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$36.03 VES 31.9K

-31.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$82.4 VES 73.0K

11.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$95.0 VES 84.1K

-24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$221 VES 195.6K

118.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$108 VES 96.0K

185.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$571 VES 505.6K

76.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$274 VES 242.8K

131.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$445 VES 393.9K

431.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$198 VES 175.7K

701.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$209 VES 185.4K

181.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.5

-74.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Maracay

$108 14.8% 64.9% $201

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Maracay

$264 35.9% 12.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Maracay

$120 16.3% 10.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Maracay

$63 8.6% 33.2% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Maracay

$104 14.2% 34.3% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Maracay

$39 5.3% 37% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Maracay

$37 5% 26.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $221 in Maracay. 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 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $32 in Maracay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $264 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇪 Maracay

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

19:50 7:50 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

425,606

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

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

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Maracay 16,470 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Maracay

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Maracay, 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 $1,102 in Maracay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $75 in Maracay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Maracay – 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 Maracay. 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.