Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasaje and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasaje: $864 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Pasaje, Ecuador
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Pasaje
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$864
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $864 per month in Pasaje vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Pasaje $864
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,428 per month in Pasaje vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Pasaje $1,428
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Pasaje vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Pasaje $1,993
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Pasaje is about 8% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pasaje and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pasaje 37% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.88 $3.88
$2.24 ฿75.5
73.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.3 $52.3
$19.00 ฿640
175.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.14 $9.14
$5.55 ฿187
64.68%
Cappuccino
$2.91 $2.91
$1.67 ฿56.4
74.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 $0.86
$0.64 ฿21.51
34.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 $0.73
$0.31 ฿10.29
135.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 $2.96
$2.36 ฿79.5
25.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.66 ฿123
18.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.95 ฿65.7
-40.51%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.44 ฿48.41
34.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 $1.40
$1.33 ฿44.97
5.26%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$2.28 ฿77.0
-8.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.84 $6.84
$16.45 ฿554
-58.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.13 $5.13
$2.78 ฿93.8
84.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.94 $8.94
$9.31 ฿314
-3.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.47 $1.47
$2.35 ฿79.3
-37.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 $1.16
$0.97 ฿32.75
19.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.60 ฿53.8
-36.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.50 ฿50.6
-36.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.28 ฿43.06
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.10 ฿37.14
-17.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 $0.87
$0.71 ฿23.79
22.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$0.49 ฿16.34
108.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.91 $5.91
$4.14 ฿140
42.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.99 $11.99
$17.52 ฿590
-31.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.61 ฿54.4
-2.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$2.78 ฿93.8
-23.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 $0.39
$0.87 ฿29.27
-55.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,823
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.16 ฿39.00
141.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.73 $1.73
$0.53 ฿17.78
226.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.91 $11.91
$2.42 ฿81.6
392.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.45 ฿48.82
-42.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.0K $23.0K
$21.1K ฿709.7K
9.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K $31.2K
$26.9K ฿907.9K
15.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.84 $33.84
$62.2 ฿2,095
-45.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.11 $15.11
$12.17 ฿410
24.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.30 $26.30
$20.12 ฿678
30.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.99 $30.99
$37.31 ฿1,257
-16.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.24 $15.24
$3.77 ฿127
304.24%
Cinema Ticket
$7.52 $7.52
$6.49 ฿219
15.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$368 $368
$736 ฿24.8K
-50.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,688 $5,688
$14.8K ฿497.6K
-61.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.1 $66.1
$53.4 ฿1,799
23.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.84 $39.84
$24.64 ฿830
61.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 $124
$91.5 ฿3,083
35.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.0 $91.0
$71.9 ฿2,424
26.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$411 $411
$482 ฿16.3K
-14.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$263 $263
$309 ฿10.4K
-14.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$710 $710
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-29.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 $505
$633 ฿21.3K
-20.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pasaje
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
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 Pasaje: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pasaje
$263
Chiang Mai
$309 17.3% $45
Groceries & Markets
Pasaje
$198
Chiang Mai
$234 18.1% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Pasaje
$144
Chiang Mai
$109 24.8% $36
Eating Out
Pasaje
$123
Chiang Mai
$78 37.1% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pasaje
$75
Chiang Mai
$94 25.5% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Pasaje
$46
Chiang Mai
$50 9.2% $4.2
Getting Around
Pasaje
$13 *
Chiang Mai
$61 371% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Pasaje 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Pasaje versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pasaje vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Pasaje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Pasaje
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
20:21 8:21 PM
08:21 8:21 AM
12 h ahead of Pasaje
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,860
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pasaje Chiang Mai 18,290 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pasaje
  • 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
Pasaje vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pasaje or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Pasaje and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Pasaje and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Pasaje or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasaje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Pasaje and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Pasaje and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Pasaje or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Pasaje or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $864 in Pasaje and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Pasaje – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Pasaje vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?