Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Punto Fijo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $983 in Punto Fijo, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Punto Fijo despite lower rent and utilities.

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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

Punto Fijo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Punto Fijo

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $983 in Punto Fijo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Punto Fijo $983

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,709 in Punto Fijo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Punto Fijo $1,709

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,435 in Punto Fijo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Punto Fijo $2,435

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Punto Fijo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Punto Fijo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Punto Fijo 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$15.04 VES 13.3K

-85.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$79.5 VES 70.5K

-76.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.28 VES 2,018

-26.75%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.47 VES 1,303

-56.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.68 VES 602

-54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.04 VES 1,810

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$5.65 VES 5,013

-35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.55 VES 2,261

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.55 VES 2,257

-43.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$3.57 VES 3,164

-62.75%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$6.24 VES 5,533

-63.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$6.08 VES 5,394

170.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.98 VES 4,413

-44.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.03 VES 4,458

85.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$8.08 VES 7,166

-70.92%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$4.88 VES 4,325

-80.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$4.95 VES 4,392

-67.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$5.86 VES 5,193

-78.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$5.14 VES 4,557

-78.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$3.08 VES 2,734

-76.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.48 VES 1,314

-66.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.05 VES 3,590

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.95 VES 1,726

-17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.96 VES 4,400

-43.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.27 VES 1,130

-31.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$6.81 VES 6,037

-92.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.52 VES 460

178.85%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$49.23 VES 43.7K

26.28%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.03 VES 8,891

21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$37.62 VES 33.4K

-46.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$39.86 VES 35.3K

-6.40%

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

$197 VES 175.0K

273.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$3,627 VES 3.2M

307.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$35.35 VES 31.3K

158.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$392 VES 347.7K

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$298 VES 264.5K

3.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$797 VES 706.8K

26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$601 VES 532.5K

5.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$196 VES 173.9K

200.74%

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 Punto Fijo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Punto Fijo

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Punto Fijo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Punto Fijo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Punto Fijo

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Punto Fijo

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Punto Fijo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Punto Fijo

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $392 in Punto Fijo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3 times higher, 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 $79 in Punto Fijo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $316 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇪 Punto Fijo

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

15:13 3:13 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

277,017

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 887 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 989 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Punto Fijo 16,420 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Punto Fijo

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 Punto Fijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punto Fijo costs about 5% 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 $1,475 in Punto Fijo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Punto Fijo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $392 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $79 in Punto Fijo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Punto Fijo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $983 in Punto Fijo. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $983 in Punto Fijo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.