Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yaguajay

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,207 in Yaguajay, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Yaguajay
Learn more

Yaguajay Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Yaguajay

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,207 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Yaguajay $1,207

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,697 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Yaguajay $1,697

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,186 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Yaguajay $2,186

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Yaguajay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Yaguajay are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Yaguajay 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.84 CUP 140

-61.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$18.10 CUP 434

4.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.86 CUP 165

-19.10%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.28 CUP 30.69

30.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.23 CUP 29.50

-47.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.11 CUP 26.69

-72.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.53 CUP 36.70

54.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.71 CUP 41.08

114.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.95 CUP 70.9

-33.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.78 CUP 18.70

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.46 CUP 59.1

-45.93%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$5.49 CUP 132

199.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.34 CUP 128

-47.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.95 CUP 287

-22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.77 CUP 114

-50.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.13 CUP 27.02

-14.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.28 CUP 30.62

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.33 CUP 31.83

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.78 CUP 42.63

-28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.78 CUP 66.6

-60.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.01 CUP 24.27

-29.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.08 CUP 26.03

-54.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.40 CUP 81.7

21.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$10.03 CUP 241

74.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.77 CUP 42.58

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.00 CUP 47.90

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.20 CUP 4.92

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$20.36 CUP 489

165.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.97 CUP 47.20

-41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.42 CUP 10.03

26.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$19.82 CUP 476

-87.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.29 CUP 30.90

12.40%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$68.2K CUP 1.6M

-69.12%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$74.6K CUP 1.8M

-63.87%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$35.59 CUP 854

74.68%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$39.46 CUP 947

-69.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$245 CUP 5,891

-91.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$39.83 CUP 956

-6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.95 CUP 359

-74.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$0.99 CUP 23.69

555.56%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$116 CUP 2,775

536.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$11.4K CUP 272.8K

29.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$40.73 CUP 977

31.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$30.58 CUP 734

-19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$75.0 CUP 1,799

22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$78.6 CUP 1,885

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$370 CUP 8,875

30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$374 CUP 8,974

-17.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,011 CUP 24.3K

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$595 CUP 14.3K

6.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$389 CUP 9,332

507.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$341 CUP 8,182

366.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$52.4 CUP 1,259

1024.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yaguajay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Yaguajay

$374 31% 21% $65

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Yaguajay

$242 20% 3.1% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Yaguajay

$101 8.4% 6.9% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Yaguajay

$321 26.5% 239% $226

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Yaguajay

$103 8.5% 32.9% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Yaguajay

$25 2.1% 58.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Yaguajay

$42 3.5% 16.9% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $370 in Yaguajay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 11 times higher, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Yaguajay. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $242 in Yaguajay – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇺 Yaguajay

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

07:35 7:35 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,827

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, 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 = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.71 CUP (100 CUP = 3.74 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Yaguajay 15,440 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yaguajay

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 Yaguajay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaguajay costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $1,811 in Yaguajay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaguajay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $370 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $116 in Yaguajay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Yaguajay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,207 in Yaguajay. 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 $1,207 in Yaguajay. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.