🙂A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,133 in San Bernardo, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,747 in San Bernardo, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,360 in San Bernardo, rent included.
🙂Chiang Mai is about 25% cheaper than San Bernardo, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Both Chiang Mai and San Bernardo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai36% lower, San Bernardo15% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.96฿64.0
$10.65CLP 9,469
-81.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.81฿615
$53.6CLP 47.7K
-64.90%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.92฿259
$8.39CLP 7,460
-5.60%
Cappuccino
$1.91฿62.6
$3.29CLP 2,926
-41.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84฿27.41
$0.87CLP 778
-3.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35฿11.51
$1.31CLP 1,163
-73.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.21฿72.1
$3.32CLP 2,953
-33.43%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80฿124
$4.40CLP 3,911
-13.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.64฿53.5
$1.16CLP 1,030
41.38%
White Bread(500g)
$1.62฿53.1
$1.51CLP 1,345
7.28%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.18฿38.62
$2.08CLP 1,852
-43.27%
Eggs
$2.01฿65.8
$4.10CLP 3,649
-50.98%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.89฿520
$10.53CLP 9,367
50.90%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.01฿98.5
$6.78CLP 6,024
-55.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.77฿352
$11.02CLP 9,801
-2.27%
Apples(1kg)
$2.61฿85.5
$2.00CLP 1,779
30.50%
Banana(1kg)
$1.22฿39.88
$1.56CLP 1,390
-21.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.70฿55.7
$2.11CLP 1,873
-19.43%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.58฿51.5
$1.93CLP 1,714
-18.13%
Potato(1kg)
$1.32฿43.14
$1.86CLP 1,657
-29.03%
Onion(1kg)
$1.17฿38.23
$1.69CLP 1,507
-30.77%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.67฿21.98
$1.35CLP 1,199
-50.37%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56฿18.32
$1.22CLP 1,088
-54.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.53฿148
$3.36CLP 2,984
34.82%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.20฿595
$6.80CLP 6,048
167.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83฿60.0
$1.54CLP 1,365
18.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23฿106
$2.60CLP 2,309
24.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.89฿29.00
$0.63CLP 560
41.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.38฿634
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.35฿44.20
$0.51CLP 451
164.71%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.35฿44.05
$1.40CLP 1,245
-3.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.25฿270
$11.40CLP 10.1K
-27.63%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27฿41.64
$1.42CLP 1,267
-10.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K฿691.8K
$19.3KCLP 17.2M
9.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.5K฿735.3K
$22.3KCLP 19.8M
0.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$70.2฿2,294
$130CLP 115.4K
-45.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.77฿450
$13.51CLP 12.0K
1.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.60฿575
$22.15CLP 19.7K
-20.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.57฿1,360
$38.06CLP 33.8K
9.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.60฿216
$21.01CLP 18.7K
-68.59%
Cinema Ticket
$5.78฿189
$6.29CLP 5,593
-8.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$306฿10.0K
$440CLP 390.8K
-30.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.8K฿484.8K
$8,722CLP 7.8M
69.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4฿1,778
$54.9CLP 48.8K
-0.95%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.14฿855
$32.33CLP 28.8K
-19.15%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$84.5฿2,764
$77.2CLP 68.6K
9.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.4฿2,270
$83.2CLP 74.0K
-16.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$424฿13.9K
$472CLP 419.9K
-10.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$238฿7,788
$373CLP 331.8K
-36.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$825฿27.0K
$888CLP 789.3K
-7.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$515฿16.8K
$594CLP 528.5K
-13.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,049฿67.0K
$2,050CLP 1.8M
-0.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,523฿49.8K
$1,513CLP 1.3M
0.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
San Bernardo
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$635฿20.8K
$1,382CLP 1.2M
-54.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5
5.18
-3.47%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para San Bernardo: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $472 in San Bernardo. 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 118% higher in San Bernardo, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $54.0 in San Bernardo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Chiang Mai vs San Bernardo: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or San Bernardo?
San Bernardo costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 vs San Bernardo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,700 in San Bernardo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or San Bernardo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai vs San Bernardo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $54.0 in San Bernardo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or San Bernardo?
Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in San Bernardo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chiang Mai or San Bernardo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in San Bernardo at $1,133. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Bernardo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or San Bernardo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,133 in San Bernardo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to San Bernardo?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or San Bernardo?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Bernardo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Chiang Mai vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado