Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Santa Marta

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,447 in Santa Marta, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Marta outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,447 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Santa Marta $1,447

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,693 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Santa Marta $1,693

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,939 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Santa Marta $1,939

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Santa Marta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Santa Marta is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.86 COP 12.5K

-56.74%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.59 COP 5,139

22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.17 COP 6,992

-33.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.22 COP 3,924

9.02%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.46 COP 7,942

-7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.39 COP 27.1K

96.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$9.57 COP 30.9K

-70.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.26 COP 36.4K

-17.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.13 COP 13.3K

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.04 COP 3,359

-6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.11 COP 3,600

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.99 COP 6,433

-24.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.93 COP 2,990

37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.54 COP 4,972

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.96 COP 3,085

-26.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.62 COP 1,989

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.13 COP 13.3K

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$17.52 COP 56.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.45 COP 4,684

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.40 COP 4,533

98.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.96 COP 3,108

-9.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$3.07 COP 9,921

-62.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.35 COP 4,352

7.41%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$23.6K COP 76.2M

-10.77%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$34.2K COP 110.3M

-21.17%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$159 COP 512.4K

-60.82%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.23 COP 29.8K

31.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$21.79 COP 70.3K

-7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$31.36 COP 101.2K

18.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.27 COP 17.0K

23.15%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$10.9K COP 35.1M

35.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$86.4 COP 279.0K

-38.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$62.8 COP 202.7K

-60.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$92.6 COP 299.0K

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$86.7 COP 279.8K

-16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,096 COP 3.5M

-56.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$752 COP 2.4M

-58.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,095 COP 3.5M

-8.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$620 COP 2.0M

2.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,110 COP 3.6M

112.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,191 COP 3.8M

33.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$526 COP 1.7M

12.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.54

-71.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Santa Marta

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Santa Marta

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Santa Marta

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Santa Marta

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Santa Marta

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Santa Marta

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Santa Marta

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,096 in Santa Marta. 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 12% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

500,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Santa Marta 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Santa Marta

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 Marta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta costs about 55% 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 $2,171 in Santa Marta. 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 $482 there versus $1,096 in Santa Marta.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,447 in Santa Marta. That makes Chiang Mai about 35% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Santa Marta, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,447 in Santa Marta. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,447 in Santa Marta. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.