Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Puerto Varas

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,122 in Puerto Varas, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Varas outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

$935

/mo nomad

Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,122 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Puerto Varas $1,122

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,599 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Puerto Varas $1,599

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,075 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Puerto Varas $2,075

Chiang Mai is about 17% cheaper than Puerto Varas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Puerto Varas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Puerto Varas 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$12.02 CLP 11.8K

-82.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$40.05 CLP 39.2K

-53.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$7.74 CLP 7,563

-27.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.28 CLP 3,207

-49.39%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.99 CLP 966

-34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.79 CLP 770

-62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.13 CLP 1,108

78.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.85 CLP 1,809

-23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.52 CLP 1,490

-8.55%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.06 CLP 2,996

-22.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$8.47 CLP 8,278

95.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$4.67 CLP 4,565

-42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$8.77 CLP 8,575

2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.76 CLP 1,721

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.94 CLP 1,892

-46.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.50 CLP 2,447

-33.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.95 CLP 1,905

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.54 CLP 1,501

-19.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.20 CLP 1,170

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.28 CLP 1,254

-40.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$1.08 CLP 1,054

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.19 CLP 5,072

-20.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$4.51 CLP 4,409

297.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.37 CLP 1,335

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$1.20 CLP 1,172

135.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.09 CLP 1,066

-14.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$249 CLP 243.5K

-74.88%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$15.86 CLP 15.5K

-26.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$30.83 CLP 30.1K

22.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$495 CLP 483.8K

46.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$6,002 CLP 5.9M

176.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$20.40 CLP 19.9K

162.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$15.20 CLP 14.9K

63.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$59.4 CLP 58.1K

52.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$603 CLP 589.6K

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$407 CLP 397.9K

-23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$793 CLP 775.2K

33.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$600 CLP 586.5K

9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$528 CLP 516.0K

12.70%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Puerto Varas

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Puerto Varas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Puerto Varas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Puerto Varas

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Puerto Varas

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Puerto Varas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Puerto Varas

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $603 in Puerto Varas. 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 13% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $40 in Puerto Varas. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $207 in Puerto Varas – so Puerto Varas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇱 Puerto Varas

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

21:56 9:56 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

41,255

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.11 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 978 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,098 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Puerto Varas 17,400 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Puerto Varas

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 Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Varas costs about 20% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,684 in Puerto Varas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $603 in Puerto Varas.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $40 in Puerto Varas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Puerto Varas – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,122 in Puerto Varas. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,122 in Puerto Varas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.