Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puerto Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Plata: $808 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Plata
Learn more

Puerto Plata Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Puerto Plata

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $808 in Puerto Plata, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Puerto Plata $808

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,325 in Puerto Plata, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Puerto Plata $1,325

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,841 in Puerto Plata, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Puerto Plata $1,841

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

Both Chiang Mai and Puerto Plata are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Puerto Plata 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$5.54 DOP 340

-58.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$32.63 DOP 1,999

-39.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.35 DOP 450

-23.67%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.45 DOP 89.0

14.48%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.69 DOP 42.34

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.32 DOP 19.58

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.92 DOP 117

25.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.37 DOP 145

56.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.20 DOP 73.7

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.58 DOP 97.1

-10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.01 DOP 61.8

29.70%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.31 DOP 80.4

66.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$3.81 DOP 233

337.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.37 DOP 329

-48.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$5.44 DOP 333

67.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.37 DOP 145

0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.82 DOP 50.5

25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.67 DOP 103

-2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.88 DOP 53.7

70.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.03 DOP 63.4

25.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.19 DOP 72.7

-6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.84 DOP 51.2

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.93 DOP 57.0

-43.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.47 DOP 152

74.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.20 DOP 564

95.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.03 DOP 124

-22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.94 DOP 180

-3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.94 DOP 57.8

-8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.26 DOP 200

-62.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$2.26 DOP 139

-74.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.73 DOP 351

-58.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.26 DOP 77.5

14.29%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$29.4K DOP 1.8M

-29.48%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$34.4K DOP 2.1M

-21.99%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$41.41 DOP 2,537

50.52%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$22.67 DOP 1,389

-46.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$35.58 DOP 2,179

-43.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.81 DOP 295

35.14%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$250 DOP 15.3K

217.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,310 DOP 447.8K

102.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$18.91 DOP 1,158

184.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$12.87 DOP 788

91.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$86.1 DOP 5,274

5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$120 DOP 7,375

-40.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$437 DOP 26.8K

4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$297 DOP 18.2K

0.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$829 DOP 50.8K

9.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$670 DOP 41.1K

-17.37%

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

$331 DOP 20.2K

78.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.56

-58.92%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Puerto Plata: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Puerto Plata

$297 36.8% 0.2% $0.5

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Puerto Plata

$174 21.5% 26.1% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Puerto Plata

$107 13.3% 0.9% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Puerto Plata

$100 12.3% 5.6% $5.3

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Puerto Plata

$102 12.6% 30% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Puerto Plata

$18 * 2.3% 69.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Puerto Plata

$9.6 * 1.2% 80.8% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $437 in Puerto Plata. 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 79% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $33.00 in Puerto Plata. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $174 in Puerto Plata – so Puerto Plata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇴 Puerto Plata

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

14:01 2:01 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

130,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Puerto Plata 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puerto Plata

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 Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Puerto Plata, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,213 in Puerto Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Plata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $33.00 in Puerto Plata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Plata, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Puerto Plata 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. Puerto Plata costs $808 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 Puerto Plata. 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.