Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Valdivia

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,001 in Valdivia, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Valdivia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
Learn more

Valdivia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,001 in Valdivia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Valdivia $1,001

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,518 in Valdivia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Valdivia $1,518

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,036 in Valdivia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Valdivia $2,036

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Valdivia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Valdivia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Valdivia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.15 CLP 6,010

-63.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$45.34 CLP 44.3K

-58.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.66 CLP 6,504

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.01 CLP 1,966

-16.92%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.98 CLP 1,937

-67.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.27 CLP 1,242

-75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.58 CLP 3,495

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.48 CLP 3,403

5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.16 CLP 1,137

68.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.33 CLP 1,296

8.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.51 CLP 1,471

-11.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.98 CLP 2,908

-23.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.87 CLP 8,670

85.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.53 CLP 6,377

-57.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.32 CLP 12.0K

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.06 CLP 2,017

14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.86 CLP 1,819

-47.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.79 CLP 1,750

-10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.84 CLP 1,800

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.28 CLP 2,228

-43.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.49 CLP 1,461

-26.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.48 CLP 1,446

-52.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.12 CLP 1,098

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.14 CLP 5,023

-19.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$4.68 CLP 4,572

274.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.50 CLP 1,462

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.10 CLP 2,047

32.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.59 CLP 581

47.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.92 CLP 894

26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.46 CLP 1,428

-0.68%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$14.5K CLP 14.2M

45.05%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$17.0K CLP 16.6M

58.88%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$88.6 CLP 86.5K

-29.80%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$13.62 CLP 13.3K

-10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$30.40 CLP 29.7K

-33.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$41.14 CLP 40.2K

-9.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$23.51 CLP 23.0K

-83.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.58 CLP 4,476

41.70%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$238 CLP 232.9K

208.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$3,049 CLP 3.0M

384.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$49.97 CLP 48.8K

6.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$17.41 CLP 17.0K

41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$49.21 CLP 48.1K

85.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$76.8 CLP 75.1K

-6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$571 CLP 558.4K

-15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$369 CLP 360.5K

-16.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$991 CLP 968.0K

1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$550 CLP 537.4K

15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,449 CLP 4.3M

-46.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$611 CLP 596.7K

-3.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Valdivia

$369 36.9% 19.4% $60

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Valdivia

$227 22.7% 3.1% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Valdivia

$87 8.7% 19.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Valdivia

$133 13.3% 40.4% $38

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Valdivia

$131 13.1% 69.1% $54

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Valdivia

$3.3 * 0.3% 94.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Valdivia

$50 5% 0% $0

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $571 in Valdivia. 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 4% higher in Valdivia, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $45 in Valdivia. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Valdivia – so Valdivia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

17:49 5:49 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

150,048

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Valdivia 17,560 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Valdivia

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 Valdivia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valdivia costs about 7% 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 $1,501 in Valdivia. 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 $571 in Valdivia.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $45 in Valdivia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Valdivia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,001 in Valdivia. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,001 in Valdivia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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