Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Havana and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Havana: $862 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Havana
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Havana Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Havana

🇨🇺 Cuba

$862

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Havana vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Havana $862
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Havana vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Havana $1,389
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,916 per month in Havana vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Havana $1,916
Chiang Mai $1,903

Havana is about 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Havana and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Havana 36% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 CUP 88.4

$2.29 ฿76.5

60.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 CUP 659

$19.64 ฿656

39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 CUP 123

$5.61 ฿188

-8.73%

Cappuccino

$1.05 CUP 25.28

$1.66 ฿55.6

-36.75%

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

$1.58 CUP 37.86

$0.70 ฿23.40

125.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 CUP 24.07

$0.31 ฿10.24

222.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 CUP 29.62

$2.41 ฿80.4

-48.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 CUP 48.54

$3.71 ฿124

-45.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 CUP 65.7

$1.95 ฿65.3

40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 CUP 35.30

$1.41 ฿47.03

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 CUP 42.73

$1.31 ฿43.62

35.88%

Eggs

$3.61 CUP 86.7

$2.18 ฿72.9

65.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 CUP 106

$16.65 ฿556

-73.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 CUP 115

$2.76 ฿92.2

73.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.43 CUP 202

$9.11 ฿304

-7.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 CUP 142

$2.39 ฿80.0

147.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 CUP 25.32

$1.03 ฿34.26

1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CUP 93.2

$1.63 ฿54.4

138.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 CUP 54.9

$1.50 ฿50.0

52.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CUP 67.4

$1.29 ฿43.13

117.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 CUP 64.2

$1.11 ฿37.03

141.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 CUP 19.07

$0.72 ฿24.08

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 CUP 13.68

$0.53 ฿17.59

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 CUP 40.16

$4.31 ฿144

-61.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.19 CUP 124

$17.95 ฿600

-71.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CUP 41.30

$1.58 ฿52.9

8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CUP 49.38

$2.84 ฿95.0

-27.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CUP 15.15

$0.86 ฿28.86

-26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.59 CUP 542

$53.3 ฿1,780

-57.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 CUP 62.1

$1.21 ฿40.29

114.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 CUP 8.73

$0.57 ฿18.99

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 CUP 479

$2.35 ฿78.6

749.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CUP 31.87

$1.44 ฿47.96

-7.64%

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

$61.0K CUP 1.5M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

194.09%

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

$59.1K CUP 1.4M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

120.35%

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

$46.70 CUP 1,121

$62.3 ฿2,083

-25.08%

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

$39.02 CUP 936

$12.11 ฿405

222.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.3 CUP 2,191

$19.94 ฿666

357.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.26 CUP 390

$37.07 ฿1,239

-56.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.92 CUP 310

$3.78 ฿126

241.80%

Cinema Ticket

$0.84 CUP 20.13

$6.50 ฿217

-87.08%

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

$154 CUP 3,688

$793 ฿26.5K

-80.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K CUP 302.8K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-14.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 CUP 1,246

$53.7 ฿1,796

-3.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 CUP 1,002

$24.62 ฿823

69.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 CUP 1,925

$90.9 ฿3,036

-11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 CUP 1,590

$71.1 ฿2,378

-6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 CUP 5,841

$455 ฿15.2K

-46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 CUP 5,181

$298 ฿9,954

-27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 CUP 21.1K

$908 ฿30.4K

-3.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 CUP 12.0K

$554 ฿18.5K

-9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$304 CUP 7,295

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-84.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$406 CUP 9,749

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-71.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$29.43 CUP 706

$591 ฿19.7K

-95.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

5.57

63.38%

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

Last update for Havana: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Havana

$236 27.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 0.1% $0.3

Accommodation & Living

Havana

$216 25%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 38% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Havana

$177 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 46.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Havana

$108 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Havana

$78 9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 0.8% $0.6

Getting Around

Havana

$30 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 106% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Havana

$18 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 179% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $243 in Havana versus $455 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 1908% 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 $27.00 in Havana versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Havana

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

17:52 5:52 PM

11 h ahead of Havana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,141,993 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Havana Chiang Mai 15,350 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Havana
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Havana, 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 $1,293 per month in Havana and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $154 per month in Havana and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Havana, where all-in costs run around $862, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Havana 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. Havana costs $862 versus $925 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 Havana. 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.