Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Granada and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Granada and in Chiang Mai: $920 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Granada
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Granada Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Granada

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$920

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $920 per month in Granada vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Granada $920
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,291 per month in Granada vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Granada $1,291
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,662 per month in Granada vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Granada $1,662
Chiang Mai $1,914

Granada is about 2% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Granada and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Granada 32% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 NIO 158

$2.26 ฿75.4

90.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.77 NIO 870

$19.18 ฿641

23.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 NIO 254

$5.59 ฿187

24.33%

Cappuccino

$1.76 NIO 64.4

$1.72 ฿57.6

2.33%

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

$0.86 NIO 31.63

$0.64 ฿21.54

34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NIO 25.24

$0.33 ฿11.18

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 NIO 48.42

$2.36 ฿78.7

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NIO 74.4

$3.90 ฿130

-47.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 NIO 44.75

$2.05 ฿68.6

-40.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 NIO 58.6

$1.40 ฿46.70

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.54 NIO 19.73

$1.28 ฿42.89

-57.81%

Eggs

$1.18 NIO 43.11

$2.25 ฿75.3

-47.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.01 NIO 183

$16.94 ฿566

-70.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 NIO 184

$2.74 ฿91.6

83.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 NIO 289

$9.36 ฿313

-15.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 NIO 149

$2.40 ฿80.3

70.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 NIO 21.53

$1.01 ฿33.92

-41.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 NIO 64.6

$1.61 ฿53.9

9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 NIO 35.96

$1.52 ฿50.7

-35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 NIO 103

$1.28 ฿42.90

119.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 NIO 37.12

$1.11 ฿37.22

-9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 NIO 37.59

$0.72 ฿24.09

43.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NIO 37.21

$0.52 ฿17.54

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 NIO 103

$4.33 ฿145

-35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 NIO 369

$17.73 ฿593

-43.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NIO 51.8

$1.63 ฿54.4

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 NIO 64.9

$2.85 ฿95.3

-37.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 NIO 3.37

$0.85 ฿28.31

-89.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.89 NIO 142

$53.9 ฿1,801

-92.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 NIO 21.59

$1.17 ฿39.18

-49.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 NIO 58.8

$0.57 ฿19.00

180.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 NIO 250

$2.37 ฿79.2

188.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 NIO 46.73

$1.45 ฿48.32

-11.72%

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

$23.2K NIO 849.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

13.33%

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

$26.5K NIO 969.6K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-0.14%

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

$154 NIO 5,650

$62.3 ฿2,083

147.51%

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

$19.44 NIO 712

$12.27 ฿410

58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.60 NIO 1,194

$19.97 ฿668

63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 NIO 320

$6.71 ฿224

30.25%

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

$238 NIO 8,720

$797 ฿26.6K

-70.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,974 NIO 218.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-59.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.21 NIO 557

$53.3 ฿1,780

-71.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 NIO 1,102

$25.05 ฿837

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.60 NIO 1,304

$91.6 ฿3,062

-61.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.20 NIO 1,289

$73.5 ฿2,455

-52.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 NIO 15.5K

$464 ฿15.5K

-8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 NIO 12.7K

$305 ฿10.2K

13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 NIO 29.1K

$915 ฿30.6K

-13.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 NIO 19.1K

$552 ฿18.5K

-5.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$136 NIO 4,984

$595 ฿19.9K

-77.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

5.57

114.00%

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

Last update for Granada: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Granada

$346 37.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 11.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Granada

$206 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 54.2% $112

Groceries & Markets

Granada

$192 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 23.8% $46

Eating Out

Granada

$93 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 15.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Granada

$52 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 110% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Granada

$17 * 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 194% $34

Getting Around

Granada

$13 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 376% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Granada versus $464 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 337% 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 $24.00 in Granada versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Granada vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Granada wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇮 Granada

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

11:20 11:20 AM

13 h ahead of Granada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,937

127,240

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NIO in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Granada Chiang Mai 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Granada
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Granada, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,380 per month in Granada and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Granada, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $238 per month in Granada and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Granada, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Granada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Granada costs $920 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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