Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Monteria

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,227 in Monteria, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Monteria
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Monteria Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monteria

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,227 in Monteria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Monteria $1,227

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,997 in Monteria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Monteria $1,997

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,767 in Monteria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Monteria $2,767

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Monteria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Monteria are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Monteria 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.8

$5.73 COP 18.2K

-60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

$41.91 COP 133.3K

-54.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

$10.31 COP 32.8K

-45.78%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

$2.57 COP 8,178

-33.07%

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

$0.64 ฿21.65

$2.57 COP 8,188

-75.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.24

$2.27 COP 7,209

-85.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$3.29 COP 10.5K

-28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$5.16 COP 16.4K

-24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿69.0

$1.90 COP 6,052

7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.94

$2.78 COP 8,857

-49.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.43 COP 4,537

-10.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$4.83 COP 15.4K

-53.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿569

$7.98 COP 25.4K

112.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.1

$9.46 COP 30.1K

-71.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$13.49 COP 42.9K

-30.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.7

$3.16 COP 10.1K

-24.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.09

$1.24 COP 3,951

-18.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.2

$2.07 COP 6,580

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.0

$1.81 COP 5,751

-16.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.68 COP 5,332

-23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.41

$1.58 COP 5,020

-29.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.21

$1.22 COP 3,887

-40.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.63

$1.16 COP 3,698

-55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.07 COP 12.9K

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿596

$14.66 COP 46.6K

20.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.46 COP 4,630

11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.8

$2.34 COP 7,443

21.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.45

$1.19 COP 3,777

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,811

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.38

$1.57 COP 5,006

-25.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.09

$3.68 COP 11.7K

-84.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.6

$9.57 COP 30.4K

-75.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.56

$1.30 COP 4,132

11.54%

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

$20.5K ฿687.8K

$23.5K COP 74.8M

-12.97%

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

$26.5K ฿890.6K

$34.4K COP 109.3M

-22.87%

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

$62.3 ฿2,094

$78.0 COP 248.1K

-20.09%

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

$12.27 ฿412

$14.49 COP 46.1K

-15.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿671

$25.19 COP 80.1K

-20.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,274

$43.38 COP 138.0K

-12.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$8.24 COP 26.2K

-18.57%

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

$797 ฿26.8K

$618 COP 2.0M

28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$5,835 COP 18.6M

154.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,789

$75.5 COP 240.1K

-29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿841

$55.4 COP 176.2K

-54.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,077

$132 COP 420.5K

-30.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,468

$109 COP 345.9K

-32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$736 COP 2.3M

-36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$411 COP 1.3M

-25.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$1,022 COP 3.3M

-10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.6K

$913 COP 2.9M

-39.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.2K

$2,174 COP 6.9M

-12.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$1,691 COP 5.4M

-14.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Monteria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Monteria

$411 33.5% 34.9% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Monteria

$293 23.8% 22.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monteria

$167 13.6% 52.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Monteria

$118 9.6% 24.4% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Monteria

$154 12.5% 94.7% $75

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Monteria

$25 * 2% 59.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Monteria

$60 4.9% 16.6% $8.5

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 $736 in Monteria. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $42.00 in Monteria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $293 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇴 Monteria

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

04:35 4:35 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

454,032

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Monteria 16,900 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Monteria

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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,840 in Monteria. 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 Monteria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Monteria, 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 Monteria at $1,227. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monteria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,227 in Monteria. 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, Monteria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.