Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibague and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,127 in Ibague, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Ibague
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Ibague Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ibague

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,127

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,127 per month in Ibague vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibague $1,127
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,793 per month in Ibague vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibague $1,793
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,458 per month in Ibague vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibague $2,458
Chiang Mai $1,903

Ibague costs about 22% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ibague and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ibague 17% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 COP 25.2K

$2.29 ฿76.5

246.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.52 COP 131.6K

$19.64 ฿656

111.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 COP 24.3K

$5.61 ฿188

36.36%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 4,941

$1.66 ฿55.6

-6.02%

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

$1.08 COP 3,411

$0.70 ฿23.40

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,470

$0.31 ฿10.24

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 COP 4,597

$2.41 ฿80.4

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 COP 12.7K

$3.71 ฿124

7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 3,563

$1.95 ฿65.3

-42.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,598

$1.41 ฿47.03

70.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,524

$1.31 ฿43.62

-15.27%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,834

$2.18 ฿72.9

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 COP 26.1K

$16.65 ฿556

-50.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 COP 22.0K

$2.76 ฿92.2

151.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 COP 30.5K

$9.11 ฿304

5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 COP 11.4K

$2.39 ฿80.0

50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,112

$1.03 ฿34.26

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,674

$1.63 ฿54.4

-9.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,536

$1.50 ฿50.0

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 COP 2,520

$1.29 ฿43.13

-38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,341

$1.11 ฿37.03

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 COP 2,597

$0.72 ฿24.08

13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 COP 3,840

$0.53 ฿17.59

128.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 COP 13.6K

$4.31 ฿144

-0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 39.2K

$17.95 ฿600

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,497

$1.58 ฿52.9

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 COP 9,014

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 COP 3,238

$0.86 ฿28.86

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 COP 201.5K

$53.3 ฿1,780

19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 COP 4,273

$1.21 ฿40.29

11.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 COP 1,221

$0.57 ฿18.99

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 COP 7,212

$2.35 ฿78.6

-3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,277

$1.44 ฿47.96

-6.25%

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

$20.5K COP 65.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-1.02%

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

$34.6K COP 109.6M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

28.95%

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

$41.15 COP 130.5K

$62.3 ฿2,083

-33.98%

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

$9.40 COP 29.8K

$12.11 ฿405

-22.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.40 COP 45.7K

$19.94 ฿666

-27.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.40 COP 86.9K

$37.07 ฿1,239

-26.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 COP 15.4K

$6.50 ฿217

-25.54%

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

$490 COP 1.6M

$793 ฿26.5K

-38.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,698 COP 24.4M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-48.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.47 COP 80.7K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-52.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.15 COP 152.7K

$24.62 ฿823

95.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 COP 247.5K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 332.5K

$71.1 ฿2,378

47.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 COP 2.1M

$455 ฿15.2K

44.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$298 ฿9,954

59.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 COP 3.2M

$908 ฿30.4K

11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 COP 2.9M

$554 ฿18.5K

65.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,853 COP 5.9M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-4.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,649 COP 5.2M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

14.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 COP 2.0M

$591 ฿19.7K

8.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

5.57

129.98%

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

Last update for Ibague: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ibague

$476 42.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 37.5% $178

Groceries & Markets

Ibague

$234 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 0.6% $1.3

Eating Out

Ibague

$128 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 38.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ibague

$115 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 6.3% $7.3

Getting Around

Ibague

$71 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 14.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibague

$65 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 45.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ibague

$37 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 35% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $656 in Ibague 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 9% higher in Ibague, 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 $42.00 in Ibague versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Ibague vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Ibague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Ibague

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

20:57 8:57 PM

12 h ahead of Ibague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ibague Chiang Mai 17,360 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibague
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

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

Ibague costs about 22% 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 $1,690 per month in Ibague 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Ibague 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 1% cheaper in Ibague – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Ibague at $1,127. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ibague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,127 in Ibague. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ibague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.