Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and San Juan del Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,038 in San Juan del Sur, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
50

Cost of Living Index in San Juan del Sur
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San Juan del Sur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in San Juan del Sur

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 Juan del Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,038 in San Juan del Sur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
San Juan del Sur $1,038

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,655 in San Juan del Sur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
San Juan del Sur $1,655

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,272 in San Juan del Sur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
San Juan del Sur $2,272

Chiang Mai is about 10% cheaper than San Juan del Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and San Juan del Sur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, San Juan del Sur 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$4.26 NIO 156

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$34.05 NIO 1,247

-45.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.49 NIO 201

2.00%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.53 NIO 92.7

-34.39%

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

$0.65 ฿21.70

$0.89 NIO 32.60

-26.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.23

$0.69 NIO 25.12

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$1.47 NIO 53.8

57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.19 NIO 80.2

67.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.20 NIO 43.77

68.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.24

$1.47 NIO 54.0

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.69

$1.17 NIO 42.71

18.80%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$2.39 NIO 87.5

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$7.67 NIO 281

115.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.6

$6.16 NIO 226

-56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.83 NIO 287

15.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.5

$3.97 NIO 145

-39.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.93

$0.61 NIO 22.36

70.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.78 NIO 65.0

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.36 NIO 86.3

-33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.52

$3.11 NIO 114

-60.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.46

$2.24 NIO 82.0

-51.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.56

$1.10 NIO 40.34

-30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.25

$1.00 NIO 36.73

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.69 NIO 98.4

53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$9.68 NIO 354

85.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.42 NIO 52.2

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.7

$2.19 NIO 80.3

28.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,775

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.48

$1.67 NIO 61.2

-29.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.59 NIO 58.2

-89.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$6.97 NIO 255

-74.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.41

$1.36 NIO 49.66

8.09%

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

$21.0K ฿705.0K

$22.9K NIO 840.2K

-8.40%

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

$26.5K ฿889.6K

$25.9K NIO 948.6K

2.37%

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

$62.6 ฿2,099

$59.3 NIO 2,170

5.59%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$10.65 NIO 390

8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$32.81 NIO 1,202

-38.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,271

$30.17 NIO 1,105

25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$8.90 NIO 326

-26.85%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$235 NIO 8,592

209.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.1K

$6,163 NIO 225.7K

168.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,796

$60.5 NIO 2,215

-11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$64.2 NIO 2,350

-61.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,032

$123 NIO 4,502

-26.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,415

$145 NIO 5,298

-50.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$426 NIO 15.6K

12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$380 NIO 13.9K

-18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$916 NIO 33.5K

15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$776 NIO 28.4K

-15.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$351 NIO 12.8K

69.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.92

-53.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

San Juan del Sur

$380 36.6% 22.7% $70

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

San Juan del Sur

$222 21.4% 6.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

San Juan del Sur

$177 17% 62.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

San Juan del Sur

$103 9.9% 8.7% $8.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

San Juan del Sur

$99 9.5% 29.3% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

San Juan del Sur

$9.6 * 0.9% 83.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

San Juan del Sur

$48 4.6% 5.8% $2.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $426 in San Juan del Sur. 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 70% 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 $34 in San Juan del Sur. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $222 in San Juan del Sur – so San Juan del Sur wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇮 San Juan del Sur

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

18:51 6:51 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

14,741

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.49 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 40.93 NIO (100 NIO = 2.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai San Juan del Sur 16,630 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
San Juan del Sur

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 Juan del Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan del Sur costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,557 in San Juan del Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan del Sur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $34 in San Juan del Sur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in San Juan del Sur – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,038 in San Juan del Sur. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $935 versus $1,038 in San Juan del Sur. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.