Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochabamba and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Cochabamba: $463 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Cochabamba
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Cochabamba Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cochabamba

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$463

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cochabamba and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $463 per month in Cochabamba vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cochabamba $463
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $722 per month in Cochabamba vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cochabamba $722
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $981 per month in Cochabamba vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cochabamba $981
Chiang Mai $1,979

Cochabamba is about 51% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cochabamba and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cochabamba 66% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 BOB 20.76

$2.24 ฿75.6

-23.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.28 BOB 124

$19.00 ฿641

-45.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 BOB 60.0

$5.55 ฿187

-10.45%

Cappuccino

$1.48 BOB 17.90

$1.67 ฿56.5

-11.38%

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

$0.41 BOB 4.98

$0.64 ฿21.54

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 BOB 4.49

$0.31 ฿10.31

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 BOB 12.45

$2.36 ฿79.5

-56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 BOB 20.76

$3.66 ฿124

-53.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 BOB 7.46

$1.95 ฿65.7

-68.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 BOB 9.06

$1.44 ฿48.46

-47.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 BOB 12.98

$1.33 ฿45.03

-18.80%

Eggs

$1.08 BOB 13.01

$2.28 ฿77.1

-52.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.85 BOB 34.39

$16.45 ฿555

-82.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 BOB 27.08

$2.78 ฿93.9

-19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.26 BOB 51.5

$9.31 ฿314

-54.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 BOB 17.86

$2.35 ฿79.4

-37.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 BOB 8.50

$0.97 ฿32.79

-27.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 BOB 13.13

$1.60 ฿53.9

-31.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 BOB 11.26

$1.50 ฿50.6

-38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 BOB 9.97

$1.28 ฿43.11

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 BOB 8.32

$1.10 ฿37.18

-37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 BOB 7.80

$0.71 ฿23.82

-8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 BOB 7.84

$0.49 ฿16.36

32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.49 BOB 18.01

$4.14 ฿140

-64.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 BOB 59.3

$17.52 ฿591

-71.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BOB 14.03

$1.61 ฿54.5

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BOB 23.43

$2.78 ฿93.9

-30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 BOB 3.17

$0.87 ฿29.30

-70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.04 BOB 182

$54.1 ฿1,825

-72.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 BOB 18.04

$1.16 ฿39.04

28.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 BOB 10.59

$0.53 ฿17.80

66.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 BOB 50.4

$2.42 ฿81.7

72.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.45 BOB 5.42

$1.45 ฿48.88

-68.97%

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

$17.2K BOB 207.5K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-18.38%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$32.41 BOB 391

$62.2 ฿2,098

-47.87%

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

$17.01 BOB 205

$12.17 ฿411

39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 BOB 283

$20.12 ฿679

16.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.01 BOB 266

$37.31 ฿1,259

-41.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.16 BOB 50.2

$3.77 ฿127

10.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 BOB 36.60

$6.49 ฿219

-53.31%

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

$108 BOB 1,298

$736 ฿24.8K

-85.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,407 BOB 41.1K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-76.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.74 BOB 492

$53.4 ฿1,801

-23.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.86 BOB 252

$24.64 ฿831

-15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.44 BOB 464

$91.5 ฿3,087

-57.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 BOB 656

$71.9 ฿2,427

-24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$160 BOB 1,927

$482 ฿16.3K

-66.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 BOB 1,243

$309 ฿10.4K

-66.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 BOB 3,691

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-69.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 BOB 2,705

$633 ฿21.4K

-64.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$850 BOB 10.3K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-64.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 BOB 8,136

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-57.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 BOB 4,741

$590 ฿19.9K

-33.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

5.57

46.68%

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

Last update for Cochabamba: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cochabamba

$109 23.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 115% $125

Accommodation & Living

Cochabamba

$103 22.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 200% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cochabamba

$73 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 29.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cochabamba

$69 15%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 56.4% $39

Eating Out

Cochabamba

$58 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 33.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cochabamba

$28 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 79.1% $22

Getting Around

Cochabamba

$22 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 179% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $160 in Cochabamba versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 50% 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 $10 in Cochabamba versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $234 – making Cochabamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Cochabamba

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

16:26 4:26 PM

11 h ahead of Cochabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

856,198

127,240

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.29 USD

100 BOB = 7.42 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 12.07 BOB (100 BOB = 8.29 USD). 1 EUR = 13.48 BOB (100 BOB = 7.42 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cochabamba Chiang Mai 18,440 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cochabamba
Chiang Mai

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

Cochabamba vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 102% more than Cochabamba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $694 per month in Cochabamba and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cochabamba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $160 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $108 per month in Cochabamba and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 115% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $463 in Cochabamba and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cochabamba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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