Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puerto Montt

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $450 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Puerto Montt $450

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $754 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Puerto Montt $754

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,057 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Puerto Montt $1,057

Chiang Mai costs about 108% more than Puerto Montt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Puerto Montt are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Puerto Montt 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$8.20 CLP 8,150

-72.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

-45.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.24 CLP 7,192

-23.34%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.76 CLP 2,742

-39.49%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.87 CLP 867

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.87 CLP 869

-64.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.09 CLP 1,080

78.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$2.55 CLP 2,537

-43.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.38 CLP 1,370

-3.62%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.09 CLP 3,070

-26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

49.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.70 CLP 5,660

-51.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.04 CLP 6,991

32.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.03 CLP 1,026

128.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.40 CLP 1,389

-30.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.65 CLP 2,634

-39.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.74 CLP 1,726

-13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.54 CLP 1,531

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.28 CLP 1,269

-44.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.49 CLP 1,485

-67.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.46 CLP 4,433

-7.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.40 CLP 5,360

224.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.34 CLP 1,332

20.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.48 CLP 1,468

87.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.94 CLP 933

-7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.28 CLP 1,267

13.28%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

0.93%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

7.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

-32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$143 CLP 142.2K

414.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$502 CLP 498.3K

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Puerto Montt

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Puerto Montt

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Puerto Montt

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $502 in Puerto Montt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Puerto Montt. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $216 in Puerto Montt – so Puerto Montt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

169,736

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

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

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Puerto Montt 17,380 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puerto Montt

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 Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 108% more than Puerto Montt, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $675 in Puerto Montt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $502 in Puerto Montt. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $35 in Puerto Montt. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $450 in Puerto Montt to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.