Cost of Living Comparison Between Managua and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Managua and Chiang Mai

😐 Solo nomad: Managua is 23.5% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 10.6% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Managua is 21.9% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 19.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.98 NIO 183
$2.01 ฿64.4
147.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.77 NIO 1,279
$18.23 ฿583
90.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.85 NIO 252
$7.65 ฿244
-10.46%
Cappuccino
$2.42 NIO 88.9
$1.92 ฿61.3
26.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 NIO 29.74
$0.84 ฿26.90
-3.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 NIO 25.58
$0.36 ฿11.39
94.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.34 NIO 49.33
$2.19 ฿70.0
-38.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 NIO 72.8
$3.79 ฿121
-47.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 NIO 46.83
$1.64 ฿52.4
-22.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 NIO 90.1
$1.62 ฿51.8
51.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 NIO 66.1
$1.15 ฿36.88
56.52%
Eggs
$2.32 NIO 85.2
$1.94 ฿62.0
19.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 NIO 414
$15.94 ฿510
-29.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.44 NIO 237
$3.10 ฿99.2
107.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.77 NIO 286
$11.07 ฿354
-29.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 NIO 141
$2.71 ฿86.5
41.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.91 NIO 33.56
$1.18 ฿37.69
-22.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 NIO 67.4
$1.71 ฿54.5
7.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 NIO 80.6
$1.61 ฿51.3
36.02%
Potato (1kg)
$3.99 NIO 147
$1.39 ฿44.53
187.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 NIO 79.8
$1.15 ฿36.70
88.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 NIO 39.02
$0.71 ฿22.76
49.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 NIO 36.76
$0.55 ฿17.60
81.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.62 NIO 96.5
$4.57 ฿146
-42.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.57 NIO 536
$18.87 ฿603
-22.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 NIO 51.9
$1.82 ฿58.2
-22.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 NIO 83.5
$3.21 ฿103
-29.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 NIO 5.77
$0.88 ฿28.16
-81.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.90 NIO 217
$18.89 ฿604
-68.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 NIO 55.9
$1.41 ฿45.17
7.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 NIO 21.15
$1.30 ฿41.59
-55.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.66 NIO 245
$8.20 ฿262
-18.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 NIO 48.44
$1.23 ฿39.18
7.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K NIO 841.7K
$21.2K ฿677.0K
8.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K NIO 953.7K
$22.3K ฿713.3K
16.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$98.7 NIO 3,630
$69.9 ฿2,234
41.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.80 NIO 618
$14.07 ฿450
19.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.75 NIO 1,389
$17.70 ฿566
113.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.12 NIO 1,292
$41.41 ฿1,324
-15.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.12 NIO 556
$6.69 ฿214
126.01%
Cinema Ticket
$7.82 NIO 288
$5.74 ฿184
36.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$125 NIO 4,581
$299 ฿9,566
-58.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,058 NIO 222.9K
$15.0K ฿479.8K
-59.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3 NIO 2,880
$54.8 ฿1,753
42.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$71.9 NIO 2,646
$26.35 ฿842
172.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 NIO 4,830
$84.7 ฿2,706
55.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 NIO 3,903
$69.7 ฿2,229
52.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$260 NIO 9,566
$427 ฿13.6K
-39.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$193 NIO 7,116
$241 ฿7,697
-19.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$435 NIO 16.0K
$811 ฿25.9K
-46.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 NIO 16.6K
$498 ฿15.9K
-9.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,214 NIO 44.7K
$2,022 ฿64.7K
-39.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$639 NIO 23.5K
$1,524 ฿48.7K
-58.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Managua
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$359 NIO 13.2K
$639 ฿20.4K
-43.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.25
5
105.00%

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

Last update for Managua: April 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

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

Managua vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities