Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Santa Pola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,675 in Santa Pola, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Santa Pola
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Santa Pola Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Santa Pola

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,675 in Santa Pola, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Santa Pola $1,675

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,402 in Santa Pola, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Santa Pola $2,402

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,129 in Santa Pola, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Santa Pola $3,129

Chiang Mai is about 44% cheaper than Santa Pola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Santa Pola is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$17.67 €15.74

-87.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$62.7 €55.8

-70.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$11.26 €10.03

-50.27%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.52 €2.24

-34.13%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$2.23 €1.99

-70.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$1.83 €1.63

-83.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$3.17 €2.82

-26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.07 €3.62

-9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.17 €1.04

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.46 €1.30

-3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.35 €1.20

2.96%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.13 €2.79

-24.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$13.88 €12.36

19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$8.19 €7.29

-67.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$15.13 €13.48

-40.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.59 €2.30

-7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.63 €1.45

-36.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.15 €1.92

-22.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$2.57 €2.28

-39.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.77 €1.57

-29.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.90 €1.69

-42.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.20 €1.07

-36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.79 €0.70

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.78 €6.04

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$4.81 €4.29

272.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.35 €1.20

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$2.24 €2.00

25.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.68 €1.50

-44.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$28.54 €25.41

85.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$3.86 €3.44

-69.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.15 €1.03

-85.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$23.43 €20.86

-92.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.80 €1.61

-18.33%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$36.2K €32.2K

-41.90%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$34.4K €30.7K

-23.00%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$137 €122

-54.29%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$17.68 €15.75

-34.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$29.47 €26.24

-31.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$44.47 €39.59

-14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.40 €11.93

-72.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$8.89 €7.92

-26.77%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$419 €373

73.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$8,498 €7,567

95.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$96.8 €86.2

-44.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$38.79 €34.54

-36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$80.5 €71.7

12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$106 €94.5

-32.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$886 €789

-45.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$733 €653

-57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$1,338 €1,191

-20.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$940 €837

-29.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$3,295 €2,934

-26.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$2,285 €2,034

-29.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.3

68.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Pola: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Santa Pola

$733 43.8% 137% $423

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Santa Pola

$261 15.6% 10.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Santa Pola

$145 8.7% 33.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Santa Pola

$184 11% 94.8% $90

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Santa Pola

$246 14.7% 221% $169

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Santa Pola

$45 2.7% 23.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Santa Pola

$62 3.7% 22.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $886 in Santa Pola. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $63 in Santa Pola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $261 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇸 Santa Pola

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

10:41 10:41 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

37,816

💱 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Santa Pola 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Santa Pola

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 Pola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Pola costs about 79% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,513 in Santa Pola. 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 $481 there versus $886 in Santa Pola.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $419 in Santa Pola. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Santa Pola, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,675 in Santa Pola. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,675 in Santa Pola. 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.