Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puente Alto

For one person, living is cheaper in Puente Alto: $147 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Puente Alto
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Puente Alto Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Puente Alto

🇨🇱 Chile

$147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Puente Alto

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $147 in Puente Alto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Puente Alto $147

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $250 in Puente Alto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Puente Alto $250

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $352 in Puente Alto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Puente Alto $352

Chiang Mai costs about 530% more than Puente Alto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Puente Alto are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Puente Alto 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.22 CLP 1,199

59.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.35 CLP 1,329

-2.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$6.28 CLP 6,186

-65.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.08 CLP 5,003

-45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.01 CLP 1,983

18.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.56 CLP 1,537

-33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.05 CLP 1,032

55.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.39 CLP 2,350

-37.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$3.14 CLP 3,087

-64.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.91 CLP 891

-20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$1.68 CLP 1,650

-68.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.03 CLP 2,978

42.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$2.06 CLP 2,030

771.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.01 CLP 993

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.02 CLP 1,992

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.11 ฿405

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Puente Alto: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Puente Alto

$147 * 100% 37.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

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

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇱 Puente Alto

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

10:31 10:31 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

568,106

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Puente Alto 18,070 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puente Alto

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 Puente Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 530% more than Puente Alto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $220 in Puente Alto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $147 in Puente Alto. That's a gap of about 530%.

Groceries cost about 60% 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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puente Alto, where all-in costs run around $147, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Puente Alto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puente Alto costs $147 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Puente Alto. 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.