Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mayari

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,504 in Mayari, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Mayari
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Mayari Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mayari

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,504 in Mayari, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mayari $1,504

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,433 in Mayari, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mayari $2,433

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,363 in Mayari, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mayari $3,363

Chiang Mai is about 38% cheaper than Mayari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Mayari is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.83 CUP 140

-61.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.63 CUP 471

-3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.33 CUP 152

-12.32%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.27 CUP 30.50

31.50%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.25 CUP 54.0

-71.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.23 CUP 29.45

-74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.57 CUP 61.6

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.02 CUP 72.5

21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.93 CUP 70.2

-33.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.78 CUP 18.64

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.51 CUP 60.4

-47.01%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.19 CUP 76.6

-28.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.00 CUP 144

174.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.33 CUP 128

-47.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.03 CUP 289

-22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.97 CUP 119

-52.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.17 CUP 28.09

-17.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.38 CUP 33.12

15.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.46 CUP 35.08

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.94 CUP 46.45

-34.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$2.79 CUP 67.0

-60.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.99 CUP 23.70

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.12 CUP 26.78

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.44 CUP 82.6

20.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.02 CUP 241

74.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.79 CUP 42.98

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.98 CUP 47.56

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.20 CUP 4.75

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$19.62 CUP 471

175.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$2.25 CUP 54.0

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.41 CUP 9.95

29.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$20.04 CUP 481

-87.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.27 CUP 30.46

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$69.1K CUP 1.7M

-69.52%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$80.6K CUP 1.9M

-66.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$35.62 CUP 855

74.54%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$40.42 CUP 970

-69.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$246 CUP 5,916

-91.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$40.68 CUP 976

-8.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$15.29 CUP 367

-75.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$0.99 CUP 23.68

555.56%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$115 CUP 2,768

538.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$17.8K CUP 427.4K

-17.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$55.9 CUP 1,342

-4.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$39.64 CUP 951

-37.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$44.32 CUP 1,064

106.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$49.81 CUP 1,196

44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$213 CUP 5,102

126.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$668 CUP 16.0K

-53.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$383 CUP 9,186

162.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,764 CUP 42.3K

-64.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$392 CUP 9,408

502.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$345 CUP 8,274

360.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$21.86 CUP 525

2597.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mayari: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mayari

$668 44.4% 116% $359

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mayari

$247 16.4% 5.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mayari

$85 5.7% 21.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mayari

$323 21.4% 241% $228

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mayari

$114 7.6% 46.5% $36

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mayari

$25 1.6% 59.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mayari

$43 2.8% 15.2% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $213 in Mayari. 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 27 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $20 in Mayari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $247 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇺 Mayari

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

20:00 8:00 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

29,259

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.8 CUP (100 CUP = 3.73 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Mayari 15,590 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mayari

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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayari costs about 61% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $2,256 in Mayari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mayari, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $213 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $115 in Mayari. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Mayari, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,504 in Mayari. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,504 in Mayari. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.