Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and San Antonio

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio: $607 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio
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San Antonio Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

San Antonio

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in San Antonio

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $607 in San Antonio, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
San Antonio $607

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,032 in San Antonio, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
San Antonio $1,032

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,458 in San Antonio, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
San Antonio $1,458

Chiang Mai costs about 54% more than San Antonio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and San Antonio are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, San Antonio 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.80 ₲40.6K

-67.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$43.91 ₲261.9K

-56.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.77 ₲40.4K

-18.02%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.52 ₲21.0K

-52.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.08 ₲6,459

-40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.60 ₲3,595

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.04 ₲12.2K

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.80 ₲10.7K

103.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.31 ₲7,813

48.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.51 ₲9,036

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.32 ₲7,853

0.76%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.39 ₲14.2K

-4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.94 ₲59.3K

65.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.27 ₲31.4K

-47.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.22 ₲61.0K

-8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.98 ₲17.8K

-21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.32 ₲7,846

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.17 ₲7,002

36.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.41 ₲14.4K

-37.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.35 ₲8,060

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.30 ₲7,725

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.88 ₲5,240

-19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.78 ₲4,627

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.41 ₲14.4K

71.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$9.28 ₲55.3K

88.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.37 ₲8,177

17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.77 ₲10.6K

57.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.52 ₲9,072

-23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.52 ₲9,059

-65.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$10.39 ₲62.0K

-76.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.27 ₲7,568

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$17.1K ₲101.7M

23.49%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$30.5K ₲181.8M

-11.60%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$50.7 ₲302.3K

22.70%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$17.70 ₲105.6K

-31.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$22.10 ₲131.8K

-8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.92 ₲53.2K

-27.24%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$184 ₲1.1M

299.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$5,737 ₲34.2M

157.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$65.0 ₲387.9K

-17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$56.1 ₲334.9K

-56.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$105 ₲627.7K

-13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$71.2 ₲424.6K

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

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

10.5

-46.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Antonio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

San Antonio

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

San Antonio

$218 35.9% 7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

San Antonio

$134 22.1% 23.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

San Antonio

$90 14.9% 4.2% $4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

San Antonio

$138 22.7% 77.3% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

San Antonio

$9.1 * 1.5% 85.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

San Antonio

$18 * 2.9% 64.5% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $44 in San Antonio. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $218 in San Antonio – so San Antonio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇾 San Antonio

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

02:34 2:34 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

68,127

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, 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).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,660 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai San Antonio 17,490 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
San Antonio

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 San Antonio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 54% more than San Antonio, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $910 in San Antonio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $44 in San Antonio. 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.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in San Antonio to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.