Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,676 per month in Playa del Coco vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,676
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,700
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,724 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,724
Chiang Mai $1,979

Playa del Coco costs about 79% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Coco sits 23% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,328

$2.24 ฿75.7

724.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.2K

$19.00 ฿642

205.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,030

$5.55 ฿188

140.72%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,965

$1.67 ฿56.6

160.48%

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

$2.65 ₡1,197

$0.64 ฿21.56

314.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡724

$0.31 ฿10.32

416.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,613

$2.36 ฿79.6

51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,774

$3.66 ฿124

68.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,039

$1.95 ฿65.8

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,260

$1.44 ฿48.51

93.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$1.33 ฿45.07

83.46%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,605

$2.28 ฿77.1

56.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,764

$16.45 ฿556

-35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,776

$2.78 ฿94.0

280.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,264

$9.31 ฿314

72.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,516

$2.35 ฿79.5

137.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡798

$0.97 ฿32.82

82.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$1.60 ฿53.9

140.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,614

$1.50 ฿50.7

138.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,548

$1.28 ฿43.15

167.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$1.10 ฿37.22

179.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡542

$0.71 ฿23.84

69.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,206

$0.49 ฿16.38

444.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,623

$4.14 ฿140

40.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,517

$17.52 ฿592

-4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$1.61 ฿54.5

55.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$2.78 ฿94.0

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

$0.87 ฿29.33

52.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.16 ฿39.08

112.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.53 ฿17.82

192.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,198

$2.42 ฿81.8

284.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡714

$1.45 ฿48.93

8.97%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

63.00%

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

$41.0K ₡18.5M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

52.08%

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

$93.6 ₡42.2K

$62.2 ฿2,100

50.54%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$12.17 ฿411

144.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$20.12 ฿680

189.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.1K

$37.31 ฿1,260

90.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,240

$6.49 ฿219

10.63%

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

$756 ₡340.9K

$736 ฿24.9K

2.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

14.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡37.1K

$53.4 ฿1,802

53.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.1K

$24.64 ฿832

125.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.6K

$91.5 ฿3,089

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.5K

$71.9 ฿2,429

61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡397.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

82.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.1K

$309 ฿10.4K

80.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡893.1K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

96.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡538.1K

$633 ฿21.4K

88.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-78.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

30.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 44.7% $250

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 39% $150

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 73% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 48% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 33.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 41.1% $35

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 295% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $882 in Playa del Coco 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 31% higher in Playa del Coco, 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 $58 in Playa del Coco versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

22:48 10:48 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Coco Chiang Mai 16,710 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Coco
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

Playa del Coco vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco costs about 79% 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 $2,514 per month in Playa del Coco 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $882 in Playa del Coco.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Playa del Coco 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 64% more in Playa del Coco, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,676 in Playa del Coco and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Coco makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.