Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manta and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $670 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$670

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $670 per month in Manta vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Manta $670
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,152 per month in Manta vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Manta $1,152
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,634 per month in Manta vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Manta $1,634
Chiang Mai $1,979

Manta is about 28% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manta and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Manta 51% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 $3.04

$2.24 ฿75.6

35.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 $51.9

$19.00 ฿641

173.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.55 ฿187

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$2.81 $2.81

$1.67 ฿56.5

68.26%

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

$0.48 $0.48

$0.64 ฿21.55

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.31 ฿10.31

35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.36 ฿79.6

23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.66 ฿124

5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.95 ฿65.8

-49.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.44 ฿48.48

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.33 ฿45.04

-26.32%

Eggs

$2.11 $2.11

$2.28 ฿77.1

-7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$16.45 ฿555

-81.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.78 ฿93.9

10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$9.31 ฿314

-26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.35 ฿79.4

-58.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.97 ฿32.80

-25.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.60 ฿53.9

-54.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.50 ฿50.6

-48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.28 ฿43.12

-61.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.10 ฿37.19

-55.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.71 ฿23.82

-8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.49 ฿16.37

108.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.14 ฿140

-2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$17.52 ฿591

-61.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.61 ฿54.5

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.78 ฿94.0

-20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 $0.50

$0.87 ฿29.31

-42.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.16 ฿39.06

54.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.53 ฿17.80

233.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.28 $9.28

$2.42 ฿81.8

283.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.45 ฿48.90

-48.97%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

7.82%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

13.17%

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

$93.6 $93.6

$62.2 ฿2,098

50.47%

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

$11.20 $11.20

$12.17 ฿411

-7.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.03 $26.03

$20.12 ฿679

29.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.90 $19.90

$37.31 ฿1,259

-46.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$3.77 ฿127

841.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 $5.10

$6.49 ฿219

-21.42%

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

$370 $370

$736 ฿24.8K

-49.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,708 $5,708

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-61.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$53.4 ฿1,801

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 $39.90

$24.64 ฿831

61.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 $99.3

$91.5 ฿3,087

8.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.1 $62.1

$71.9 ฿2,428

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 $306

$482 ฿16.3K

-36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 $137

$309 ฿10.4K

-55.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 $916

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 $337

$633 ฿21.4K

-46.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 $478

$590 ฿19.9K

-18.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

5.57

80.43%

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

Last update for Manta: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manta

$144 21.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 63.1% $91

Accommodation & Living

Manta

$137 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 125% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manta

$131 19.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 27.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Manta

$116 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 5.9% $6.9

Eating Out

Manta

$100 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 22.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Manta

$30 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 67.1% $20

Getting Around

Manta

$13 * 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 387% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $306 in Manta 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 23% 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 $52 in Manta versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $144 in Manta vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Manta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Manta

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

12 h ahead of Manta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,553

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manta Chiang Mai 18,030 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Manta
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Manta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,005 per month in Manta and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $306 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Manta and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Manta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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