Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Valencia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valencia: $833 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Valencia
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Valencia Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Valencia

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $833 in Valencia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Valencia $833

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,345 in Valencia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Valencia $1,345

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,858 in Valencia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Valencia $1,858

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Valencia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Valencia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Valencia 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.17 VES 5,413

-62.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$34.50 VES 30.3K

-43.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$15.69 VES 13.8K

-64.24%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.31 VES 2,906

-49.85%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.66 VES 1,457

-57.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.29 VES 1,132

-75.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.03 VES 1,785

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.07 VES 2,692

20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.06 VES 1,810

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.29 VES 1,134

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.40 VES 1,230

-6.43%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.21 VES 1,940

-1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.48 VES 5,688

156.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.86 VES 6,019

-59.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.21 VES 6,328

26.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$5.13 VES 4,507

-53.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.51 VES 1,323

-31.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.94 VES 1,703

-15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.38 VES 2,087

-36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$2.69 VES 2,360

-52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$2.02 VES 1,770

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.84 VES 1,618

-60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$1.84 VES 1,611

-71.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.54 VES 2,227

69.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.90 VES 8,690

81.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.41 VES 1,236

12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.20 VES 1,934

29.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.29 VES 252

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$50.5 VES 44.3K

5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.17 VES 2,781

-61.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.96 VES 1,720

-70.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.96 VES 3,477

-40.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.78 VES 681

84.62%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.9K VES 27.2M

-33.00%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$42.2K VES 37.0M

-36.48%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$20.04 VES 17.6K

211.03%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$8.62 VES 7,566

40.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$35.81 VES 31.4K

-44.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$36.12 VES 31.7K

2.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$30.52 VES 26.8K

-87.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.97 VES 4,367

30.78%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$81.3 VES 71.4K

874.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,951 VES 2.6M

401.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$43.65 VES 38.3K

23.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$47.15 VES 41.4K

-47.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$93.5 VES 82.1K

-2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$45.93 VES 40.3K

54.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$205 VES 180.2K

121.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$140 VES 122.7K

113.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$281 VES 246.9K

223.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$241 VES 211.4K

129.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$557 VES 488.7K

246.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$386 VES 338.7K

274.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$211 VES 185.5K

179.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Valencia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Valencia

$140 16.8% 53.1% $158

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Valencia

$250 30.1% 6.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Valencia

$104 12.4% 4.2% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Valencia

$64 7.7% 31.7% $30

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Valencia

$164 19.7% 109% $86

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Valencia

$65 7.8% 6.3% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Valencia

$46 5.5% 8% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $205 in Valencia. 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 180% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Valencia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $250 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇪 Valencia

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

20:30 8:30 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,299,026

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Valencia 16,490 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Valencia

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 Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Valencia, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,250 in Valencia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valencia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $81.3 in Valencia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Valencia, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Valencia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Valencia costs $833 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Valencia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.