Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Osorno

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,013 in Osorno, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osorno outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Osorno, Chile
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Osorno
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,013
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,013 in Osorno, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Osorno $1,013

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,493 in Osorno, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Osorno $1,493

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,973 in Osorno, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Osorno $1,973

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Osorno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Osorno are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Osorno 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$7.44 CLP 7,393
-69.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$30.64 CLP 30.4K
-37.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$6.71 CLP 6,665
-17.29%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$2.00 CLP 1,987
-16.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.31 CLP 1,302
-51.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$3.07 CLP 3,051
-89.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$1.79 CLP 1,778
31.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$2.48 CLP 2,460
47.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.19 CLP 1,181
63.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$1.52 CLP 1,511
-5.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$1.47 CLP 1,456
-9.52%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.60 CLP 3,576
-36.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$9.45 CLP 9,385
74.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$5.33 CLP 5,294
-47.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$9.43 CLP 9,363
-1.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$2.01 CLP 1,995
16.92%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.43 CLP 1,420
-32.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.67 CLP 1,659
-4.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.96 CLP 1,943
-23.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$1.99 CLP 1,973
-35.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$1.68 CLP 1,666
-34.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$1.17 CLP 1,159
-39.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.96 CLP 955
-48.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$4.99 CLP 4,959
-17.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$4.41 CLP 4,376
297.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.49 CLP 1,475
8.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$3.01 CLP 2,986
-7.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$0.50 CLP 497
74.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$15.06 CLP 15.0K
259.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$2.75 CLP 2,729
-57.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.93 CLP 928
-43.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$5.18 CLP 5,146
-53.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.33 CLP 1,325
9.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$14.3K CLP 14.2M
47.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$14.5K CLP 14.4M
86.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$101 CLP 100.0K
-38.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$10.24 CLP 10.2K
18.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$29.69 CLP 29.5K
-32.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$57.6 CLP 57.3K
-35.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$13.09 CLP 13.0K
-71.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$8.99 CLP 8,932
-27.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$349 CLP 346.5K
111.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$39.18 CLP 38.9K
36.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$42.63 CLP 42.4K
114.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$42.74 CLP 42.5K
68.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$383 CLP 380.9K
25.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$368 CLP 365.3K
-15.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$515 CLP 511.6K
95.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$564 CLP 560.0K
12.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$1,010 CLP 1.0M
134.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$1,504 CLP 1.5M
5.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Osorno
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$612 CLP 608.4K
-3.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.72
18.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Osorno: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Osorno
$368 19% $59
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Osorno
$213 8.9% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Osorno
$56 * 48.4% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Osorno
$141 48.9% $46
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Osorno
$135 74.2% $58
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Osorno
$24 60.1% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Osorno
$76 50.4% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $383 in Osorno. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Osorno, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $31 in Osorno. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $213 in Osorno – so Osorno wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇱 Osorno
🕒 Local time
11:42 11:42 AM
01:42 1:42 AM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
147,666
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Osorno 17,480 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Osorno

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 Osorno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Osorno?
Osorno costs about 8% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Osorno?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,520 in Osorno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Osorno?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Osorno, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Osorno?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $349 in Osorno. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Osorno?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Osorno – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Osorno?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,013 in Osorno. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Osorno?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,013 in Osorno. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Osorno?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osorno makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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