Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $490 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $894 in Montanita, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Montanita $894

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,349 in Montanita, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Montanita $1,349

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,805 in Montanita, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Montanita $1,805

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.45 $3.45

-38.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$28.46 $28.46

-34.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.47 $7.47

-25.03%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.52 $2.52

-34.13%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.87 $0.87

-25.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.67 $0.67

-55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.05 $2.05

13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.59 $3.59

2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.09 $1.09

85.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.62 $1.62

-12.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.56 $1.56

-10.90%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$2.18 $2.18

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$5.60 $5.60

195.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$5.46 $5.46

-51.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$6.14 $6.14

46.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$2.08 $2.08

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.20 $1.20

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.08 $1.08

53.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.09 $1.09

43.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$1.44 $1.44

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$1.08 $1.08

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.48 $0.48

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.99 $0.99

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.18 $6.18

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$9.87 $9.87

81.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.52 $1.52

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$2.44 $2.44

15.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.34 $0.34

173.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$23.63 $23.63

123.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.47 $1.47

-19.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.99 $0.99

-82.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$9.96 $9.96

-81.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$0.63 $0.63

133.33%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$24.7K $24.7K

-14.83%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$28.5K $28.5K

-6.91%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$39.32 $39.32

59.10%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$13.65 $13.65

-15.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$30.74 $30.74

-33.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$30.35 $30.35

24.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$14.74 $14.74

-74.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$7.39 $7.39

-11.91%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$254 $254

185.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$5,701 $5,701

190.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$56.1 $56.1

-4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$43.64 $43.64

-43.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$99.0 $99.0

-8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$75.9 $75.9

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$342 $342

40.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$322 $322

-3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$632 $632

67.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$507 $507

29.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,259 $1,259

92.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,013 $1,013

58.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Montanita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Montanita

$322 36% 3.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Montanita

$184 20.6% 22.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Montanita

$124 13.8% 14.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Montanita

$84 9.4% 11.4% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Montanita

$104 11.6% 35.6% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Montanita

$31 3.5% 46.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Montanita

$45 5.1% 11.3% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $342 in Montanita. 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 $28 in Montanita. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $184 in Montanita – so Montanita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

16:32 4:32 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Montanita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,341 in Montanita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montanita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $254 in Montanita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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