Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $639 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
Learn more

Santa Cruz Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Santa Cruz

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $639 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Santa Cruz $639

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,172 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Santa Cruz $1,172

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,704 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Santa Cruz $1,704

Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Santa Cruz are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Santa Cruz 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.00 BOB 23.19

13.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$16.80 BOB 195

14.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.10 BOB 59.2

9.61%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.77 BOB 20.52

-2.82%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.49 BOB 5.72

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.43 BOB 4.97

-23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$0.86 BOB 9.97

174.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.24 BOB 14.35

214.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.71 BOB 8.23

188.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.94 BOB 10.88

48.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.03 BOB 11.93

24.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.06 BOB 12.27

112.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$3.15 BOB 36.56

437.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.58 BOB 29.92

6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$4.98 BOB 57.8

87.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.82 BOB 21.12

31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.62 BOB 7.24

62.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.76 BOB 8.81

111.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.73 BOB 8.48

108.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.74 BOB 8.55

72.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.67 BOB 7.75

65.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.57 BOB 6.66

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.63 BOB 7.36

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.92 BOB 22.25

125.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.32 BOB 50.2

310.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.02 BOB 11.86

59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.64 BOB 19.01

73.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.24 BOB 2.78

254.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$22.48 BOB 261

139.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.64 BOB 19.05

-28.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.91 BOB 10.58

-37.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.31 BOB 73.3

-62.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.57 BOB 6.59

154.39%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$14.1K BOB 163.3K

45.57%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$19.3K BOB 223.6K

37.64%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$34.84 BOB 405

78.90%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$19.67 BOB 228

-37.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$17.53 BOB 204

13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$19.56 BOB 227

93.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$12.84 BOB 149

-70.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.86 BOB 68.1

14.51%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$112 BOB 1,303

610.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,950 BOB 34.2K

402.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$27.21 BOB 316

95.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$35.79 BOB 416

-30.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$66.3 BOB 769

38.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$58.3 BOB 677

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$267 BOB 3,105

73.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$247 BOB 2,869

23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$909 BOB 10.6K

0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$830 BOB 9,630

-33.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,299 BOB 15.1K

47.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$737 BOB 8,551

95.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$276 BOB 3,204

115.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.17

-9.72%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Santa Cruz

$247 38.6% 18.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Santa Cruz

$112 17.5% 52.9% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Santa Cruz

$84 13.2% 22.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Santa Cruz

$72 11.3% 23.8% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Santa Cruz

$63 9.8% 20.3% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Santa Cruz

$30 4.6% 51.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Santa Cruz

$31 4.9% 39.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $267 in Santa Cruz. 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 116% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $17.00 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $112 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

08:44 8:44 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,800,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 BOB = 8.61 USD

100 BOB = 7.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Santa Cruz 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $959 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $112 in Santa Cruz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz costs $639 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.