Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Horta and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,211 in Horta, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Horta
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Horta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Horta

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,211

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,211 per month in Horta vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Horta $1,211
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Horta vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Horta $1,810
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Horta vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Horta $2,409
Chiang Mai $1,979

Horta costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Horta and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Horta 11% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.00 €7.19

$2.24 ฿75.7

257.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.33 €28.15

$19.00 ฿642

64.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 €7.71

$5.55 ฿188

54.59%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.02

$1.67 ฿56.6

34.73%

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

$1.99 €1.78

$0.64 ฿21.56

210.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.31

$0.31 ฿10.32

370.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.36 ฿79.6

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.95

$3.66 ฿124

-10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.95 ฿65.8

-46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.44 ฿48.51

2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.33 ฿45.07

19.55%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.71

$2.28 ฿77.1

81.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 €9.69

$16.45 ฿556

-34.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 €6.62

$2.78 ฿94.0

165.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 €12.93

$9.31 ฿314

54.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.22

$2.35 ฿79.5

5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 €1.21

$0.97 ฿32.82

39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.65

$1.60 ฿53.9

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.50 ฿50.7

50.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.62

$1.28 ฿43.15

41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.10 ฿37.22

79.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$0.71 ฿23.84

118.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.72

$0.49 ฿16.38

63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 €4.88

$4.14 ฿140

31.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.96

$17.52 ฿592

-68.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.61 ฿54.5

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.78 ฿94.0

-23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.82

$0.87 ฿29.33

132.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.23 €37.93

$54.1 ฿1,827

-21.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €3.05

$1.16 ฿39.08

192.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.06

$0.53 ฿17.82

124.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.62 €13.13

$2.42 ฿81.8

504.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$1.45 ฿48.93

44.83%

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

$36.9K €33.2K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

75.45%

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

$43.3K €38.9K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

60.80%

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

$120 €108

$62.2 ฿2,100

92.58%

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

$20.28 €18.21

$12.17 ฿411

66.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.57 €44.53

$20.12 ฿680

146.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.22 €43.32

$37.31 ฿1,260

29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 €13.54

$3.77 ฿127

299.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 €4.53

$6.49 ฿219

-22.34%

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

$476 €428

$736 ฿24.9K

-35.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,662 €8,680

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-34.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 €69.1

$53.4 ฿1,802

44.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.57 €21.17

$24.64 ฿832

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.8 €47.42

$91.5 ฿3,089

-42.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €91.5

$71.9 ฿2,429

41.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 €447

$482 ฿16.3K

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 €352

$309 ฿10.4K

26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 €663

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-26.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 €585

$633 ฿21.4K

2.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,101 €2,786

$2,363 ฿79.8K

31.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 €2,078

$1,589 ฿53.7K

45.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$968 €870

$590 ฿19.9K

64.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

5.57

-34.11%

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

Last update for Horta: 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

Horta

$392 32.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 21.1% $83

Groceries & Markets

Horta

$246 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 4.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Horta

$190 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 50.2% $95

Eating Out

Horta

$151 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 48.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Horta

$115 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 5.4% $6.2

Getting Around

Horta

$60 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 2.9% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Horta

$58 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 13.8% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Horta 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 64% higher in Horta. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Horta versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Horta

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

8 h ahead of Horta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,334

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Horta Chiang Mai 11,630 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Horta
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

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

Horta costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Horta and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $497 in Horta and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Horta 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 5% more in Horta, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,211 in Horta and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,211 in Horta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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