Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Porlamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Porlamar: $629 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Porlamar
Learn more

Porlamar Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Porlamar

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $629 in Porlamar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Porlamar $629

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,007 in Porlamar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Porlamar $1,007

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,385 in Porlamar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Porlamar $1,385

Chiang Mai costs about 49% more than Porlamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Porlamar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Porlamar 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.43 VES 3,928

-49.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$34.61 VES 30.7K

-45.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.12 VES 8,078

-39.14%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.78 VES 1,580

-6.18%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.63 VES 1,440

-60.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.30 VES 1,150

-76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.48 VES 1,312

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.91 VES 2,582

25.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.01 VES 897

93.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.01 VES 898

42.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.01 VES 897

31.68%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.97 VES 1,743

15.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$4.01 VES 3,557

310.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.93 VES 4,364

-43.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.15 VES 5,451

51.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.10 VES 3,630

-42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.46 VES 1,292

-33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.47 VES 1,303

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.48 VES 1,310

1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.52 VES 1,343

-15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.97 VES 861

13.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.02 VES 903

-51.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.96 VES 1,737

111.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.18 VES 5,470

183.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.94 VES 1,722

43.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.46 VES 411

89.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$14.98 VES 13.3K

261.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.28 VES 1,134

-58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.48 VES 422

202.08%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$20.3K VES 18.0M

3.65%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$34.7K VES 30.7M

-22.29%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$11.89 VES 10.5K

422.88%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.67 VES 6,791

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$22.65 VES 20.1K

-11.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$40.65 VES 36.0K

-8.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.74 VES 11.3K

-70.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.41 VES 3,022

90.32%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$30.05 VES 26.6K

2349.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$30.10 VES 26.7K

77.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$45.52 VES 40.3K

-45.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$60.7 VES 53.8K

50.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$75.3 VES 66.7K

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$202 VES 178.9K

138.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$147 VES 130.5K

109.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$335 VES 297.1K

199.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$196 VES 173.7K

223.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$406 VES 359.7K

481.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$152 VES 135.0K

943.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$215 VES 190.6K

174.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Porlamar

$147 23.4% 52.3% $162

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Porlamar

$165 * 26.2% 29.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Porlamar

$95 15.1% 12.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Porlamar

$42 6.7% 55.3% $52

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Porlamar

$109 17.3% 40.7% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Porlamar

$23 * 3.7% 62.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Porlamar

$47 7.5% 5.6% $2.8

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 $202 in Porlamar. 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Porlamar. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $165 in Porlamar – so Porlamar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇪 Porlamar

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

06:01 6:01 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

103,496

💱 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 = 37.58 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Porlamar 16,210 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Porlamar

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 Porlamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 49% more than Porlamar, 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 $944 in Porlamar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porlamar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $202 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $30 in Porlamar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Porlamar – 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 Porlamar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.