Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rionegro

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,459 in Rionegro, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rionegro, Colombia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Rionegro
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,459
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Rionegro

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,459 in Rionegro, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Rionegro $1,459

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,176 in Rionegro, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Rionegro $2,176

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,894 in Rionegro, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Rionegro $2,894

Chiang Mai is about 36% cheaper than Rionegro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Rionegro is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$8.26 COP 26.8K
-74.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$47.27 COP 153.3K
-60.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$9.45 COP 30.6K
-40.74%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$3.09 COP 10.0K
-46.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.82
$1.84 COP 5,977
-64.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$1.43 COP 4,650
-79.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.3
$3.06 COP 9,937
-24.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$5.64 COP 18.3K
-34.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$1.43 COP 4,645
41.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.49
$2.49 COP 8,080
-43.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.94
$1.75 COP 5,660
-20.57%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$2.91 COP 9,447
-18.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$9.91 COP 32.1K
66.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$9.77 COP 31.7K
-72.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$13.90 COP 45.1K
-35.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$3.95 COP 12.8K
-39.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.12
$1.51 COP 4,886
-31.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.11 COP 6,844
-21.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$2.19 COP 7,107
-28.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.75
$1.99 COP 6,449
-37.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.65
$1.58 COP 5,108
-31.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$1.13 COP 3,675
-32.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.34
$1.25 COP 4,062
-59.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$3.98 COP 12.9K
3.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$13.51 COP 43.8K
32.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$1.65 COP 5,353
-1.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$2.29 COP 7,437
23.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.52
$1.07 COP 3,467
-13.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,784
$65.0 COP 210.7K
-18.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.69
$1.33 COP 4,322
-11.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.78
$2.05 COP 6,657
-91.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$8.22 COP 26.6K
-77.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.67
$1.30 COP 4,221
13.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.7K
$34.2K COP 110.8M
-38.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.4K
$34.7K COP 112.6M
-23.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,110
$169 COP 547.1K
-62.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿391
$13.21 COP 42.8K
-12.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$28.88 COP 93.7K
-29.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
$37.76 COP 122.5K
0.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$7.08 COP 22.9K
-8.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$790 COP 2.6M
-7.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.0K
$8,934 COP 29.0M
85.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,806
$85.4 COP 276.8K
-37.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿836
$57.8 COP 187.5K
-57.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,049
$139 COP 449.3K
-34.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$97.6 COP 316.5K
-26.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$707 COP 2.3M
-31.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
$478 COP 1.6M
-35.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$1,395 COP 4.5M
-24.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
$771 COP 2.5M
-14.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.5K
$2,191 COP 7.1M
10.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
$1,763 COP 5.7M
-8.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Rionegro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.94
-49.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rionegro: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Rionegro
$478 54.4% $168
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Rionegro
$295 24.6% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Rionegro
$171 57.6% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Rionegro
$211 123% $116
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Rionegro
$171 124% $95
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Rionegro
$81 37.8% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Rionegro
$52 2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $707 in Rionegro. 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 $47 in Rionegro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $295 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇴 Rionegro
🕒 Local time
17:16 5:16 PM
05:16 5:16 AM
12 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
130,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Rionegro 17,170 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Rionegro

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 Rionegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Rionegro?
Rionegro costs about 56% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Rionegro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,188 in Rionegro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Rionegro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $707 in Rionegro.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Rionegro?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $790 in Rionegro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Rionegro?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Rionegro, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Rionegro?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,459 in Rionegro. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Rionegro?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 36% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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