Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palma Soriano and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,565 in Palma Soriano, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Palma Soriano
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Palma Soriano Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Palma Soriano

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,565

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,565 per month in Palma Soriano vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palma Soriano $1,565
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Palma Soriano vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palma Soriano $1,874
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,183 per month in Palma Soriano vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palma Soriano $2,183
Chiang Mai $1,903

Palma Soriano costs about 69% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Palma Soriano sits 16% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 CUP 117

$2.29 ฿76.5

112.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.89 CUP 597

$19.64 ฿656

26.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 CUP 117

$5.61 ฿188

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CUP 75.7

$1.66 ฿55.6

90.36%

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

$1.26 CUP 30.25

$0.70 ฿23.40

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 CUP 21.27

$0.31 ฿10.24

187.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 CUP 73.7

$2.41 ฿80.4

27.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CUP 59.3

$3.71 ฿124

-33.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 CUP 48.71

$1.95 ฿65.3

4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 CUP 35.25

$1.41 ฿47.03

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.31

$1.31 ฿43.62

-22.90%

Eggs

$1.22 CUP 29.17

$2.18 ฿72.9

-44.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.83 CUP 140

$16.65 ฿556

-64.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 CUP 146

$2.76 ฿92.2

120.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 CUP 269

$9.11 ฿304

23.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CUP 45.07

$2.39 ฿80.0

-21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CUP 28.55

$1.03 ฿34.26

15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 CUP 34.96

$1.63 ฿54.4

-10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.71

$1.50 ฿50.0

2.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.29

$1.29 ฿43.13

-24.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$1.11 ฿37.03

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.52

$0.72 ฿24.08

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.84

$0.53 ฿17.59

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 CUP 71.3

$4.31 ฿144

-31.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 CUP 240

$17.95 ฿600

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 CUP 72.8

$1.58 ฿52.9

91.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CUP 47.48

$2.84 ฿95.0

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 CUP 5.72

$0.86 ฿28.86

-72.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.36 CUP 729

$53.3 ฿1,780

-43.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 CUP 44.14

$1.21 ฿40.29

52.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 CUP 8.05

$0.57 ฿18.99

-40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.16 CUP 316

$2.35 ฿78.6

460.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CUP 28.34

$1.44 ฿47.96

-18.06%

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

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

215.46%

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

$46.5K CUP 1.1M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

73.65%

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

$55.8 CUP 1,340

$62.3 ฿2,083

-10.44%

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

$9.81 CUP 235

$12.11 ฿405

-18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$145 CUP 3,484

$19.94 ฿666

628.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 CUP 961

$37.07 ฿1,239

7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.83 CUP 236

$3.78 ฿126

160.05%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.49

$6.50 ฿217

-84.31%

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

$100 CUP 2,403

$793 ฿26.5K

-87.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CUP 283.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-20.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 CUP 1,565

$53.7 ฿1,796

21.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 CUP 838

$24.62 ฿823

41.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 CUP 2,051

$90.9 ฿3,036

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CUP 2,660

$71.1 ฿2,378

55.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 CUP 21.0K

$455 ฿15.2K

92.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 CUP 19.4K

$298 ฿9,954

170.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 CUP 18.2K

$908 ฿30.4K

-16.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 CUP 15.7K

$554 ฿18.5K

18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$322 CUP 7,725

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-83.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$324 CUP 7,785

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-77.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$39.94 CUP 959

$591 ฿19.7K

-93.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.57

49.55%

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

Last update for Palma Soriano: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palma Soriano

$807 51.6%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 63.1% $509

Groceries & Markets

Palma Soriano

$217 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 8.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palma Soriano

$211 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 55.2% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Palma Soriano

$133 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 18.9% $25

Eating Out

Palma Soriano

$120 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 34.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Palma Soriano

$42 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 19% $8

Getting Around

Palma Soriano

$35 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 74.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $875 in Palma Soriano 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 1379% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Palma Soriano versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Palma Soriano vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Palma Soriano wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Palma Soriano

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

11 h ahead of Palma Soriano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,930

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 24, 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 24, 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

Palma Soriano Chiang Mai 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Palma Soriano
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

Palma Soriano vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palma Soriano costs about 69% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,348 per month in Palma Soriano 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 $100 per month in Palma Soriano 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 9% cheaper in Palma Soriano – 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 Palma Soriano at $1,565. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palma Soriano it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,565 in Palma Soriano. 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, Palma Soriano makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.