Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Villavicencio

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,321 in Villavicencio, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Villavicencio, Colombia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Villavicencio
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,321
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,321 in Villavicencio, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Villavicencio $1,321

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,032 in Villavicencio, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Villavicencio $2,032

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,742 in Villavicencio, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Villavicencio $2,742

Chiang Mai is about 29% cheaper than Villavicencio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Villavicencio are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Villavicencio 3% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$7.96 COP 25.7K
-71.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$42.43 COP 137.0K
-55.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$10.40 COP 33.6K
-46.63%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$2.59 COP 8,354
-35.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.29 COP 4,149
-50.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$0.90 COP 2,898
-65.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$2.03 COP 6,554
16.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$4.02 COP 13.0K
-8.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.66 COP 5,371
17.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$2.45 COP 7,910
-41.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$1.77 COP 5,717
-24.86%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.58 COP 11.6K
-36.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$8.30 COP 26.8K
98.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$7.42 COP 23.9K
-62.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$9.80 COP 31.6K
-5.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$3.62 COP 11.7K
-35.08%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.85 COP 5,961
-47.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.90 COP 6,141
-15.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.87 COP 6,047
-19.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$1.44 COP 4,649
-11.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$1.37 COP 4,421
-19.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$1.30 COP 4,193
-45.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$1.14 COP 3,694
-57.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$4.31 COP 13.9K
-3.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$12.78 COP 41.3K
37.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.51 COP 4,890
6.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$3.21 COP 10.4K
-13.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$1.12 COP 3,626
-22.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$59.6 COP 192.3K
-9.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$2.09 COP 6,738
-44.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$2.46 COP 7,932
-78.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$9.38 COP 30.3K
-74.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.30 COP 4,182
11.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$35.2K COP 113.5M
-40.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$34.9K COP 112.7M
-22.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$126 COP 405.7K
-50.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$15.87 COP 51.2K
-23.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$30.09 COP 97.2K
-33.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$34.70 COP 112.0K
7.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$7.99 COP 25.8K
-18.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$561 COP 1.8M
31.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$7,703 COP 24.9M
91.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$85.2 COP 275.2K
-37.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$48.61 COP 156.9K
-49.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$141 COP 455.7K
-35.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$107 COP 347.0K
-33.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$767 COP 2.5M
-37.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$430 COP 1.4M
-28.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$1,493 COP 4.8M
-32.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$788 COP 2.5M
-19.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$2,205 COP 7.1M
7.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$1,705 COP 5.5M
-6.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Villavicencio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
12.81
-56.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Villavicencio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Villavicencio
$430 39.1% $121
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Villavicencio
$266 13.3% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Villavicencio
$172 58.4% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Villavicencio
$172 81.7% $77
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Villavicencio
$153 97% $75
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Villavicencio
$78 27.8% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Villavicencio
$51 0.8% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $767 in Villavicencio. 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 $42 in Villavicencio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $266 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇴 Villavicencio
🕒 Local time
16:24 4:24 PM
04:24 4:24 AM
12 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
407,977
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Villavicencio 17,340 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Villavicencio

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 Villavicencio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Villavicencio?
Villavicencio costs about 41% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Villavicencio?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,982 in Villavicencio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Villavicencio?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $767 in Villavicencio.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Villavicencio?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $561 in Villavicencio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Villavicencio?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Villavicencio, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Villavicencio?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,321 in Villavicencio. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Villavicencio?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,321 in Villavicencio. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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