Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $960 a month against $2,060 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$960

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $960 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,060 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Chiang Mai $960
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,060

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,949 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,499
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,949

A family of three spends $2,037 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,839 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Chiang Mai $2,037
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $3,839

Chiang Mai is about 53% cheaper than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 28% below the global median, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 54% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 ฿70.8

$20.49 €18.26

-89.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.74 ฿627

$61.2 €54.6

-69.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 ฿180

$11.06 €9.85

-51.27%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.01 €1.79

-13.43%

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

$0.71 ฿23.87

$1.93 €1.72

-63.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.08

$1.24 €1.11

-73.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ฿79.8

$2.88 €2.57

-17.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.45 €3.07

11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ฿66.7

$1.37 €1.22

45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.92

$2.37 €2.12

-39.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.34

$1.54 €1.37

-11.69%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿77.2

$4.06 €3.62

-43.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿557

$19.86 €17.70

-16.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ฿93.8

$10.29 €9.17

-72.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿314

$17.61 €15.69

-46.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ฿83.1

$2.65 €2.36

-6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$2.31 €2.05

-54.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$2.18 €1.94

-22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.5

$2.51 €2.24

-35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.26

$2.12 €1.89

-37.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.04

$1.93 €1.72

-42.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.69 €1.50

-56.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.54

$0.93 €0.83

-40.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿146

$5.70 €5.08

-23.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿589

$7.84 €6.99

124.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.0

$1.63 €1.45

-3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.73 €1.55

61.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.77

$1.41 €1.26

-39.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ฿1,820

$45.43 €40.48

19.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.80

$4.20 €3.74

-70.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ฿7.28

$1.50 €1.34

-85.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 ฿58.7

$20.50 €18.27

-91.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.38

$1.66 €1.48

-12.65%

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

$21.0K ฿702.5K

$35.7K €31.8K

-41.13%

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

$26.7K ฿893.5K

$31.3K €27.9K

-14.68%

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

$63.5 ฿2,123

$126 €113

-49.81%

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

$11.87 ฿397

$22.58 €20.12

-47.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 ฿689

$35.64 €31.76

-42.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 ฿1,449

$46.76 €41.68

-7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ฿157

$11.03 €9.83

-57.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿221

$9.76 €8.70

-32.17%

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

$743 ฿24.8K

$402 €358

84.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.3K

$6,476 €5,771

155.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ฿1,793

$91.2 €81.3

-41.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ฿844

$42.48 €37.85

-40.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 ฿3,115

$89.7 €79.9

3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ฿2,412

$113 €101

-36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ฿16.3K

$1,166 €1,039

-58.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.7K

$1,012 €902

-68.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 ฿34.7K

$1,830 €1,631

-43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ฿22.3K

$1,415 €1,261

-52.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 ฿80.5K

$3,917 €3,491

-38.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,647 ฿55.1K

$2,292 €2,042

-28.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.7K

$1,926 €1,717

-69.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.56

56.46%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 8, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: November 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$320 33.4%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$1K 49.1% 216% $692

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$239 24.9%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$328 15.9% 36.9% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.5%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$152 7.4% 37.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$96 10%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$185 9% 92.5% $89

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.1%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$255 12.4% 228% $178

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$60 6.3%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$63 3.1% 4.4% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$57 5.9%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$66 3.2% 17.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $488 in Chiang Mai versus $1,166 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $61 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $328 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇸 Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

13:33 1:33 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

209,395

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.45 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Santa Cruz de Tenerife 11,300 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Santa Cruz de Tenerife

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 de Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz de Tenerife costs about 115% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,439 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,090 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $488 there versus $1,166 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Chiang Mai and $402 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $960 in Chiang Mai and $2,060 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $960 in Chiang Mai to $2,060 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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