Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puerto Ayora

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $818 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
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Puerto Ayora Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Puerto Ayora

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $818 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Puerto Ayora $818

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,329 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Puerto Ayora $1,329

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,839 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Puerto Ayora $1,839

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Puerto Ayora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Puerto Ayora are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Puerto Ayora 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.67 $3.67

-41.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$41.60 $41.60

-55.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$6.47 $6.47

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.75 $2.75

-39.64%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.89 $0.89

-26.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.70 $0.70

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.43 $2.43

-4.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.95 $3.95

-7.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.09 $1.09

85.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.75 $1.75

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.54 $1.54

-9.74%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.08 $2.08

13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$6.39 $6.39

158.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$5.19 $5.19

-48.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$7.30 $7.30

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.81 $1.81

32.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.14 $1.14

-8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.27 $1.27

30.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.09 $1.09

43.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.23 $1.23

0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.03 $1.03

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.75 $0.75

1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$1.02 $1.02

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$5.28 $5.28

-21.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$8.05 $8.05

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.47 $1.47

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.94 $2.94

-4.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.36 $0.36

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.47 $1.47

-19.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.32 $1.32

-87.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$9.87 $9.87

-81.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$0.82 $0.82

79.27%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

-8.27%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$29.9K $29.9K

-11.37%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$34.59 $34.59

80.86%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$13.30 $13.30

-12.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$26.27 $26.27

-22.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$30.25 $30.25

25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$16.39 $16.39

-77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$6.83 $6.83

-4.69%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$300 $300

142.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$5,729 $5,729

189.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$61.2 $61.2

-12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$44.90 $44.90

-44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$108 $108

-16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$72.7 $72.7

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$422 $422

13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$267 $267

16.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$815 $815

29.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$501 $501

31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$807 $807

-26.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.09

-44.80%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Puerto Ayora: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Puerto Ayora

$267 32.6% 13.8% $43

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Puerto Ayora

$187 22.8% 21.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Puerto Ayora

$129 15.8% 19% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Puerto Ayora

$74 9.1% 21.5% $20

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Puerto Ayora

$108 13.2% 41.3% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Puerto Ayora

$9.5 * 1.2% 83.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Puerto Ayora

$44 5.4% 13.8% $7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $422 in Puerto Ayora. 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 36% higher in Puerto Ayora, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $42 in Puerto Ayora. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $187 in Puerto Ayora – so Puerto Ayora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

02:30 2:30 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,696

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Puerto Ayora 17,770 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puerto Ayora

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 Puerto Ayora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Puerto Ayora, 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 $1,228 in Puerto Ayora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Ayora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $42 in Puerto Ayora. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $818 in Puerto Ayora, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.