Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Montt and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Puerto Montt, Chile
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Puerto Montt
🇨🇱 Chile
$450
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $450 per month in Puerto Montt vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Puerto Montt $450
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $754 per month in Puerto Montt vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Puerto Montt $754
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,057 per month in Puerto Montt vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Puerto Montt $1,057
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Puerto Montt is about 52% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Puerto Montt and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Montt 67% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.20 CLP 8,150
$2.24 ฿75.6
266.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.00 CLP 34.8K
$19.00 ฿641
84.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.24 CLP 7,192
$5.55 ฿187
30.45%
Cappuccino
$2.76 CLP 2,742
$1.67 ฿56.5
65.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 CLP 867
$0.64 ฿21.55
35.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 CLP 869
$0.31 ฿10.31
180.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.36 ฿79.6
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.66 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 CLP 1,080
$1.95 ฿65.8
-44.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 CLP 2,537
$1.44 ฿48.48
77.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 CLP 1,370
$1.33 ฿45.04
3.76%
Eggs
$3.09 CLP 3,070
$2.28 ฿77.1
35.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.01 CLP 10.9K
$16.45 ฿555
-33.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.70 CLP 5,660
$2.78 ฿93.9
105.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.04 CLP 6,991
$9.31 ฿314
-24.38%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 CLP 1,026
$2.35 ฿79.4
-56.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 CLP 1,389
$0.97 ฿32.80
44.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 CLP 2,634
$1.60 ฿53.9
65.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 CLP 1,726
$1.50 ฿50.6
16.00%
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.28 ฿43.12
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 CLP 1,531
$1.10 ฿37.19
40.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 CLP 1,269
$0.71 ฿23.82
80.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 CLP 1,485
$0.49 ฿16.37
204.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.46 CLP 4,433
$4.14 ฿140
7.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.40 CLP 5,360
$17.52 ฿591
-69.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 CLP 1,332
$1.61 ฿54.5
-16.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CLP 1,468
$2.78 ฿94.0
-46.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 CLP 933
$0.87 ฿29.31
8.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,826
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.16 ฿39.06
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.53 ฿17.80
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.42 ฿81.8
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 CLP 1,267
$1.45 ฿48.90
-11.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.1K ฿710.7K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$26.9K ฿909.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.6 CLP 61.2K
$62.2 ฿2,098
-0.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.32 CLP 11.2K
$12.17 ฿411
-6.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.80 CLP 29.6K
$20.12 ฿679
48.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.31 ฿1,259
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$6.49 ฿219
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$143 CLP 142.2K
$736 ฿24.8K
-80.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.8K ฿498.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$53.4 ฿1,801
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$24.64 ฿831
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$91.5 ฿3,087
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$71.9 ฿2,428
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$502 CLP 498.3K
$482 ฿16.3K
4.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$309 ฿10.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$633 ฿21.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Montt
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Puerto Montt: 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
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$309
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$234
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$94
Eating Out
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$78
Getting Around
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$61
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Montt
–
Chiang Mai
$50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Puerto Montt 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 $35 in Puerto Montt versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Puerto Montt vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Puerto Montt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Puerto Montt
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
23:07 11:07 PM
09:07 9:07 AM
10 h ahead of Puerto Montt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
169,736
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Montt Chiang Mai 17,380 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto Montt
  • 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
Puerto Montt vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Puerto Montt or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 108% more than Puerto Montt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 Puerto Montt and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $675 per month in Puerto Montt and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Puerto Montt compared to Chiang Mai?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $502 in Puerto Montt and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do dining costs compare in Puerto Montt and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Puerto Montt or in Chiang Mai?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Puerto Montt or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $450 in Puerto Montt to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Puerto Montt vs other spots: cost of living compared

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