Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cumbaya and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $889 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cumbaya, Ecuador
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cumbaya
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$889
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cumbaya 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 Cumbaya and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Cumbaya vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $889
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $1,464
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,038 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $2,038
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Cumbaya is about 5% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cumbaya and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cumbaya 35% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.37 $5.37
$2.24 ฿75.7
139.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.0 $55.0
$19.00 ฿642
189.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.66 $7.66
$5.55 ฿188
38.02%
Cappuccino
$3.33 $3.33
$1.67 ฿56.6
99.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 $1.43
$0.64 ฿21.56
123.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 $1.09
$0.31 ฿10.32
251.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.36 ฿79.6
44.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.66 ฿124
67.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.95 ฿65.8
-44.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.44 ฿48.51
6.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.33 ฿45.07
13.53%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$2.28 ฿77.1
-8.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.51 $6.51
$16.45 ฿556
-60.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$2.78 ฿94.0
91.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.50 $7.50
$9.31 ฿314
-19.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 $2.20
$2.35 ฿79.5
-6.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 $1.18
$0.97 ฿32.82
21.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.60 ฿53.9
-16.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.50 ฿50.7
-25.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.28 ฿43.15
-1.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.10 ฿37.22
-6.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 $0.90
$0.71 ฿23.84
26.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.49 ฿16.38
112.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.82 $5.82
$4.14 ฿140
40.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.56 $8.56
$17.52 ฿592
-51.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.61 ฿54.5
-2.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$2.78 ฿94.0
11.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 $0.36
$0.87 ฿29.33
-58.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.16 ฿39.08
30.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.53 ฿17.82
190.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.93 $9.93
$2.42 ฿81.8
310.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.45 ฿48.93
-42.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K $22.9K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
8.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K $30.2K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
12.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.72 $28.72
$62.2 ฿2,100
-53.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.72 $17.72
$12.17 ฿411
45.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.01 $28.01
$20.12 ฿680
39.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.41 $27.41
$37.31 ฿1,260
-26.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.61 $14.61
$3.77 ฿127
287.53%
Cinema Ticket
$6.74 $6.74
$6.49 ฿219
3.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 $736
$736 ฿24.9K
0.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,063 $9,063
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-38.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 $69.8
$53.4 ฿1,802
30.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.69 $49.69
$24.64 ฿832
101.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 $115
$91.5 ฿3,089
25.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$71.9 ฿2,429
48.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 $377
$482 ฿16.3K
-21.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$274 $274
$309 ฿10.4K
-11.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 $825
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-17.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$498 $498
$633 ฿21.4K
-21.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cumbaya
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
5.57
81.69%

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

Last update for Cumbaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cumbaya
$274
Chiang Mai
$309 12.9% $35
Groceries & Markets
Cumbaya
$191
Chiang Mai
$234 22.5% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Cumbaya
$153
Chiang Mai
$109 29.1% $45
Eating Out
Cumbaya
$145
Chiang Mai
$78 46.6% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cumbaya
$74
Chiang Mai
$94 26.9% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Cumbaya
$41
Chiang Mai
$50 23% $9.4
Getting Around
Cumbaya
$11 *
Chiang Mai
$61 476% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Cumbaya 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cumbaya versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Cumbaya vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Cumbaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Cumbaya
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
15:38 3:38 PM
03:38 3:38 AM
12 h ahead of Cumbaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cumbaya Chiang Mai 17,930 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cumbaya
  • 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
Cumbaya vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cumbaya or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Cumbaya and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Cumbaya and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cumbaya or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cumbaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Cumbaya and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cumbaya and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Cumbaya or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Cumbaya or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $889 in Cumbaya and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cumbaya or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $889 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Cumbaya compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Cumbaya vs other spots: cost of living compared

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