Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Encarnacion and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $830 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Encarnacion, Paraguay
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Encarnacion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$830
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $830 per month in Encarnacion vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Encarnacion $830
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,285 per month in Encarnacion vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Encarnacion $1,285
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,739 per month in Encarnacion vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Encarnacion $1,739
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Encarnacion is about 11% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Encarnacion and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Encarnacion 39% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 ₲26.4K
$2.24 ฿75.6
97.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.62 ₲206.5K
$19.00 ฿641
82.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.09 ₲42.3K
$5.55 ฿187
27.75%
Cappuccino
$2.59 ₲15.4K
$1.67 ฿56.5
55.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 ₲8,876
$0.64 ฿21.54
132.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₲3,240
$0.31 ฿10.31
74.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.96 ₲5,746
$2.36 ฿79.5
-59.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 ₲12.6K
$3.66 ฿124
-42.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 ₲6,540
$1.95 ฿65.7
-43.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.92 ₲5,511
$1.44 ฿48.46
-36.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 ₲10.4K
$1.33 ฿45.03
31.58%
Eggs
$1.56 ₲9,315
$2.28 ฿77.1
-31.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.17 ₲30.8K
$16.45 ฿555
-68.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.28 ₲19.6K
$2.78 ฿93.9
17.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.62 ₲33.5K
$9.31 ฿314
-39.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 ₲12.8K
$2.35 ฿79.4
-8.51%
Banana (1kg)
$0.85 ₲5,053
$0.97 ฿32.79
-12.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.86 ₲5,123
$1.60 ฿53.9
-46.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₲9,992
$1.50 ฿50.6
12.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 ₲5,321
$1.28 ฿43.11
-30.47%
Onion (1kg)
$0.88 ₲5,224
$1.10 ฿37.18
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 ₲3,325
$0.71 ฿23.82
-21.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ₲3,117
$0.49 ฿16.36
6.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.46 ₲8,722
$4.14 ฿140
-64.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 ₲33.5K
$17.52 ฿591
-67.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 ₲5,072
$1.61 ฿54.5
-47.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₲9,193
$2.78 ฿93.9
-44.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 ₲5,028
$0.87 ฿29.30
-3.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.00 ₲208.8K
$54.1 ฿1,825
-35.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₲7,680
$1.16 ฿39.04
11.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.72 ₲4,292
$0.53 ฿17.80
35.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.74 ₲40.2K
$2.42 ฿81.7
178.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ₲7,105
$1.45 ฿48.88
-17.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$13.8K ₲82.6M
$21.1K ฿710.5K
-34.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K ₲154.2M
$26.9K ฿909.0K
-4.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$43.84 ₲261.5K
$62.2 ฿2,098
-29.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.41 ₲80.0K
$12.17 ฿411
10.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.79 ₲112.1K
$20.12 ฿679
-6.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.45 ₲181.6K
$37.31 ฿1,259
-18.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.14 ₲78.4K
$3.77 ฿127
248.54%
Cinema Ticket
$6.08 ₲36.2K
$6.49 ฿219
-6.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 ₲1.2M
$736 ฿24.8K
-72.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,299 ₲19.7M
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-77.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.7 ₲338.3K
$53.4 ฿1,801
6.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.01 ₲167.1K
$24.64 ฿831
13.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.1 ₲412.2K
$91.5 ฿3,087
-24.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.2 ₲418.8K
$71.9 ฿2,427
-2.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$508 ₲3.0M
$482 ฿16.3K
5.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$321 ₲1.9M
$309 ฿10.4K
4.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$680 ₲4.1M
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-32.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$535 ₲3.2M
$633 ฿21.4K
-15.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,583 ₲9.4M
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-33.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,409 ₲8.4M
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-11.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Encarnacion
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$367 ₲2.2M
$590 ฿19.9K
-37.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.5
5.57
70.56%

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

Last update for Encarnacion: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Encarnacion
$321
Chiang Mai
$309 3.9% $12
Groceries & Markets
Encarnacion
$141
Chiang Mai
$234 65.8% $93
Eating Out
Encarnacion
$105
Chiang Mai
$78 26% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Encarnacion
$101
Chiang Mai
$109 7.7% $7.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Encarnacion
$76
Chiang Mai
$94 24.2% $18
Getting Around
Encarnacion
$43
Chiang Mai
$61 41.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Encarnacion
$43
Chiang Mai
$50 18% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $508 in Encarnacion 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 61% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Encarnacion versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $141 in Encarnacion vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Encarnacion wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇾 Encarnacion
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
19:34 7:34 PM
05:34 5:34 AM
10 h ahead of Encarnacion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,600
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,660 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Encarnacion Chiang Mai 17,280 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Encarnacion
  • 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
Encarnacion vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Encarnacion or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Encarnacion, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Encarnacion and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,246 per month in Encarnacion and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Encarnacion compared to Chiang Mai?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $508 in Encarnacion and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do childcare costs compare in Encarnacion and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Encarnacion and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Encarnacion or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 66% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Encarnacion or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $830 in Encarnacion and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Encarnacion or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $830 in Encarnacion to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Encarnacion 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.
Should I move to Encarnacion or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Encarnacion. 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.

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