Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plasencia and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,519 in Plasencia, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Plasencia
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Plasencia Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Plasencia

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,519

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Plasencia vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Plasencia $1,519
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Plasencia vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Plasencia $2,284
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,048 per month in Plasencia vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Plasencia $3,048
Chiang Mai $1,903

Plasencia costs about 64% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Plasencia sits 12% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.27 €11.80

$2.29 ฿76.5

479.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 €59.8

$19.64 ฿656

242.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 €7.87

$5.61 ฿188

57.75%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.65

$1.66 ฿55.6

12.05%

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

$2.03 €1.80

$0.70 ฿23.40

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$0.31 ฿10.24

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 €2.70

$2.41 ฿80.4

26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.71 ฿124

-11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.95 ฿65.3

-40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.41 ฿47.03

17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.31 ฿43.62

16.03%

Eggs

$3.39 €3.01

$2.18 ฿72.9

55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €12.02

$16.65 ฿556

-18.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 €7.33

$2.76 ฿92.2

198.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.04 €14.27

$9.11 ฿304

76.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.39 ฿80.0

0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.03 ฿34.26

94.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.63 ฿54.4

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$1.50 ฿50.0

74.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.29 ฿43.13

39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.11 ฿37.03

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$0.72 ฿24.08

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.65

$0.53 ฿17.59

37.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.87

$4.31 ฿144

53.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.27

$17.95 ฿600

-67.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.58 ฿52.9

-27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.84 ฿95.0

-33.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.86 ฿28.86

61.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.14 €27.70

$53.3 ฿1,780

-41.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.21 ฿40.29

42.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.99

$0.57 ฿18.99

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 €13.09

$2.35 ฿78.6

526.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.44 ฿47.96

22.92%

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

$32.1K €28.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

54.63%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

14.40%

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

$118 €105

$62.3 ฿2,083

89.83%

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

$16.42 €14.60

$12.11 ฿405

35.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.18 €28.63

$19.94 ฿666

61.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.86 €43.46

$37.07 ฿1,239

31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 €13.61

$3.78 ฿126

304.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 €7.13

$6.50 ฿217

23.38%

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

$542 €482

$793 ฿26.5K

-31.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,047 €7,158

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-45.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €79.6

$53.7 ฿1,796

66.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 €35.35

$24.62 ฿823

61.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €83.2

$90.9 ฿3,036

2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$71.1 ฿2,378

58.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €907

$455 ฿15.2K

123.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 €563

$298 ฿9,954

112.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 €1,254

$908 ฿30.4K

55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €830

$554 ฿18.5K

68.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,177 €2,826

$1,931 ฿64.5K

64.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 €1,670

$1,445 ฿48.3K

29.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 €1,191

$591 ฿19.7K

126.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

5.57

-40.04%

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

Last update for Plasencia: 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

Plasencia

$633 41.7%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 53% $336

Groceries & Markets

Plasencia

$268 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 12% $32

Eating Out

Plasencia

$191 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 58.9% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plasencia

$167 11%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 43.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Plasencia

$151 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 28.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Plasencia

$65 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.9% $15

Getting Around

Plasencia

$44 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 38.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,020 in Plasencia 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 127% higher in Plasencia, 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 $67.0 in Plasencia versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Plasencia

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

15:47 3:47 PM

5 h ahead of Plasencia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,412

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Plasencia Chiang Mai 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Plasencia
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

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

Plasencia costs about 64% 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 $2,278 per month in Plasencia 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 $542 per month in Plasencia and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Plasencia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Plasencia at $1,519. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plasencia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,519 in Plasencia. 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, Plasencia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.