Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puerto De La Libertad

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto De La Libertad: $833 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto De La Libertad
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Puerto De La Libertad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Puerto De La Libertad

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Puerto De La Libertad

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 De La Libertad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $833 in Puerto De La Libertad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Puerto De La Libertad $833

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,335 in Puerto De La Libertad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Puerto De La Libertad $1,335

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,836 in Puerto De La Libertad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Puerto De La Libertad $1,836

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Puerto De La Libertad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.60 $6.60

-66.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$44.41 $44.41

-57.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.83 $6.83

-18.74%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.64 $3.64

-54.12%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.12 $1.12

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.80 $0.80

-61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.96 $1.96

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.64 $3.64

0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.83 $1.83

6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.84 $2.84

-49.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.39 $1.39

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.96 $2.96

-22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.94 $7.94

107.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.87 $6.87

-59.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.17 $10.17

-8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.96 $4.96

-52.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.44 $1.44

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.69 $2.69

-40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.48 $3.48

-56.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.95 $2.95

-56.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.22 $3.22

-65.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.04 $1.04

-31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.97 $0.97

-49.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.90 $3.90

6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.19 $12.19

43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.19 $2.19

-26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.96 $2.96

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$5.96 $5.96

-80.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.97 $2.97

-82.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$20.03 $20.03

-87.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.27 $1.27

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

-14.70%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

0.55%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$131 $131

-52.64%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$21.60 $21.60

-43.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$43.24 $43.24

-53.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$20.18 $20.18

84.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.93 $4.93

31.64%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$162 $162

354.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,758 $4,758

210.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$68.4 $68.4

-22.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$46.15 $46.15

-46.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$119 $119

-23.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$117 $117

-38.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto De La Libertad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Puerto De La Libertad

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Puerto De La Libertad

$287 34.4% 22.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Puerto De La Libertad

$158 18.9% 45.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Puerto De La Libertad

$196 23.5% 108% $102

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Puerto De La Libertad

$142 17% 82.7% $64

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Puerto De La Libertad

$21 * 2.5% 66.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Puerto De La Libertad

$30 3.6% 40.3% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $44 in Puerto De La Libertad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $287 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇻 Puerto De La Libertad

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

08:11 8:11 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

16,855

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Puerto De La Libertad 16,310 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puerto De La Libertad

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 De La Libertad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Puerto De La Libertad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,250 in Puerto De La Libertad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $44 in Puerto De La Libertad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $833 in Puerto De La Libertad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $833 in Puerto De La Libertad to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.