Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Praia and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,202 in Praia, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Praia
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Praia Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Praia

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$1,202

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Praia vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Praia $1,202
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $1,804 per month in Praia vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Praia $1,804
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $2,407 per month in Praia vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Praia $2,407
Chiang Mai $1,864

Praia costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Praia and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Praia 10% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 CVE 502

$2.13 ฿71.4

139.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 CVE 3,553

$19.40 ฿649

86.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 CVE 697

$5.47 ฿183

29.43%

Cappuccino

$2.65 CVE 260

$1.68 ฿56.4

57.74%

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

$1.60 CVE 157

$0.66 ฿22.10

142.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 CVE 117

$0.34 ฿11.52

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 CVE 251

$2.42 ฿81.0

5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CVE 195

$3.73 ฿125

-46.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 CVE 137

$2.06 ฿68.9

-32.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CVE 200

$1.46 ฿48.78

39.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CVE 349

$1.35 ฿45.09

162.22%

Eggs

$2.36 CVE 232

$2.27 ฿76.0

3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 CVE 2,595

$16.31 ฿546

61.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 CVE 461

$2.70 ฿90.3

73.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 CVE 1,634

$9.20 ฿308

80.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 CVE 503

$2.39 ฿80.1

113.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 CVE 292

$1.04 ฿34.66

185.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CVE 402

$1.60 ฿53.7

155.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 CVE 427

$1.44 ฿48.37

200.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 CVE 146

$1.30 ฿43.59

13.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 CVE 142

$1.11 ฿37.29

29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CVE 98.0

$0.70 ฿23.55

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CVE 147

$0.51 ฿16.99

194.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 CVE 521

$4.13 ฿138

28.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 CVE 820

$17.78 ฿595

-53.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 CVE 178

$1.63 ฿54.7

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CVE 177

$2.87 ฿96.0

-37.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 CVE 79.5

$0.86 ฿28.76

-5.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.32 CVE 2,887

$53.2 ฿1,780

-44.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 CVE 173

$1.22 ฿40.81

43.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CVE 120

$0.56 ฿18.81

117.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 CVE 153

$1.50 ฿50.2

3.33%

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

$29.1K CVE 2.9M

$20.9K ฿698.3K

39.58%

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

$37.4K CVE 3.7M

$26.7K ฿895.0K

40.06%

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

$178 CVE 17.5K

$61.3 ฿2,051

190.97%

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

$18.15 CVE 1,787

$12.50 ฿419

45.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 CVE 5,000

$20.36 ฿682

149.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.07 CVE 3,158

$37.94 ฿1,270

-15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.98 CVE 983

$3.77 ฿126

164.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 CVE 551

$6.60 ฿221

-15.15%

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

$128 CVE 12.6K

$774 ฿25.9K

-83.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,146 CVE 309.7K

$14.4K ฿483.2K

-78.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 CVE 6,094

$54.8 ฿1,835

12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 CVE 2,486

$25.26 ฿846

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 CVE 6,499

$90.6 ฿3,032

-27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 CVE 8,835

$73.3 ฿2,453

22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 CVE 57.6K

$459 ฿15.4K

27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 CVE 28.7K

$294 ฿9,835

-0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 CVE 87.6K

$919 ฿30.8K

-3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 CVE 46.4K

$552 ฿18.5K

-14.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,337 CVE 131.6K

$1,917 ฿64.2K

-30.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 CVE 96.6K

$1,445 ฿48.4K

-32.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 CVE 29.7K

$592 ฿19.8K

-49.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Praia: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Praia

$350 29.1%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 32.6% $114

Accommodation & Living

Praia

$291 24.2%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 0.8% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Praia

$247 20.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 61.9% $153

Eating Out

Praia

$122 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 36.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Praia

$109 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Praia

$43 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 18.2% $7.9

Getting Around

Praia

$40 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 50% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Praia versus $459 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 96% 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 $36.00 in Praia versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Praia

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

17:41 5:41 PM

8 h ahead of Praia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,832 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.16 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 98.45 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CVE in detail →

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Between locations

Praia Chiang Mai 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Praia
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

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

Praia costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,803 per month in Praia and $1,359 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 $128 per month in Praia and $774 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Praia, 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 $906, than in Praia at $1,202. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Praia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,202 in Praia. 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, Praia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.