Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Temuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,069 in Temuco, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Temuco
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Temuco Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Temuco

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Temuco

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,069 in Temuco, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Temuco $1,069

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,598 in Temuco, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Temuco $1,598

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,128 in Temuco, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Temuco $2,128

Chiang Mai is about 12% cheaper than Temuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Temuco are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Temuco 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.21 CLP 7,096

-68.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$30.14 CLP 29.7K

-36.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.29 CLP 7,172

-23.32%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.75 CLP 3,695

-54.13%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.19 CLP 2,153

-70.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.08 CLP 1,067

-69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.63 CLP 3,571

-34.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.41 CLP 3,358

14.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.17 CLP 1,154

75.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.63 CLP 1,600

-14.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.22 CLP 1,201

4.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.42 CLP 3,371

-34.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.63 CLP 8,495

96.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.07 CLP 4,988

-45.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.40 CLP 9,249

-0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.11 CLP 2,078

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.06 CLP 2,027

-50.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.09 CLP 2,053

-22.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.05 CLP 2,023

-25.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.40 CLP 2,364

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.12 CLP 2,091

-47.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.48 CLP 1,455

-51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.18 CLP 1,162

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.63 CLP 4,559

-6.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.90 CLP 4,823

261.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.47 CLP 1,450

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.07 CLP 2,033

37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.87 CLP 859

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$33.57 CLP 33.0K

60.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.85 CLP 835

37.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.57 CLP 1,550

-63.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$9.04 CLP 8,897

-73.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.38 CLP 1,356

5.07%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$12.3K CLP 12.1M

66.56%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$17.3K CLP 17.0M

53.58%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$136 CLP 134.2K

-54.29%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$11.17 CLP 11.0K

9.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$22.85 CLP 22.5K

-12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$48.34 CLP 47.6K

-21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$45.20 CLP 44.5K

-91.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.58 CLP 4,508

46.51%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$214 CLP 210.7K

272.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,706 CLP 2.7M

448.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$43.80 CLP 43.1K

21.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$17.62 CLP 17.3K

42.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$65.7 CLP 64.7K

39.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$83.4 CLP 82.1K

-11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$395 CLP 389.1K

17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$318 CLP 312.7K

-4.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$708 CLP 697.2K

29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$496 CLP 488.6K

11.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,952 CLP 1.9M

-2.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,668 CLP 1.6M

-13.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$524 CLP 515.8K

13.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.8

16.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Temuco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Temuco

$318 29.7% 4.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Temuco

$220 20.6% 7.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Temuco

$95 8.9% 13.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Temuco

$170 15.9% 80.1% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Temuco

$163 15.2% 106% $84

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Temuco

$46 4.3% 25.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Temuco

$58 5.4% 12% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $395 in Temuco. 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 14% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Temuco. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $220 in Temuco – so Temuco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇱 Temuco

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

21:15 9:15 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

235,509

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Temuco 17,650 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Temuco

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 Temuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Temuco costs about 14% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,603 in Temuco. 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. 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 $214 in Temuco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Temuco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Temuco at $1,069. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Temuco it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,069 in Temuco. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Temuco makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.