Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,596

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,596 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,596
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,398 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,398
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,200 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,200
Chiang Mai $1,914

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon costs about 70% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon sits 18% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 ₡5,353

$2.26 ฿75.4

428.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.58 ₡20.0K

$19.18 ฿641

132.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 ₡4,855

$5.59 ฿187

93.56%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₡1,808

$1.72 ฿57.6

134.30%

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

$2.38 ₡1,067

$0.64 ฿21.54

271.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₡819

$0.33 ฿11.18

454.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,510

$2.36 ฿78.7

42.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ₡1,800

$3.90 ฿130

2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₡931

$2.05 ฿68.6

1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,418

$1.40 ฿46.70

125.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,089

$1.28 ฿42.89

89.84%

Eggs

$3.07 ₡1,378

$2.25 ฿75.3

36.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 ₡2,942

$16.94 ฿566

-61.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 ₡3,479

$2.74 ฿91.6

183.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,350

$9.36 ฿313

51.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 ₡1,161

$2.40 ฿80.3

7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.01 ฿33.92

10.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₡576

$1.61 ฿53.9

-19.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 ₡781

$1.52 ฿50.7

14.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,165

$1.28 ฿42.90

103.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₡881

$1.11 ฿37.22

77.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ₡311

$0.72 ฿24.09

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₡898

$0.52 ฿17.54

284.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₡1,398

$4.33 ฿145

-27.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ₡6,773

$17.73 ฿593

-14.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,284

$1.63 ฿54.4

75.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$2.85 ฿95.3

30.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡582

$0.85 ฿28.31

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.11 ₡19.3K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-20.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₡825

$1.17 ฿39.18

57.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡693

$0.57 ฿19.00

170.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,814

$2.37 ฿79.2

258.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.45 ฿48.32

3.45%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

8.75%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

32.20%

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

$95.5 ₡42.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

53.28%

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

$35.40 ₡15.9K

$12.27 ฿410

188.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.86 ₡14.7K

$19.97 ฿668

64.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 ₡33.0K

$37.91 ฿1,267

93.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ₡3,458

$6.71 ฿224

14.90%

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

$972 ₡435.8K

$797 ฿26.6K

21.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

15.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₡29.0K

$53.3 ฿1,780

21.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.92 ₡11.6K

$25.05 ฿837

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 ₡43.5K

$91.6 ฿3,062

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 ₡24.4K

$73.5 ฿2,455

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₡309.3K

$464 ฿15.5K

48.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₡295.6K

$305 ฿10.2K

116.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 ₡888.2K

$915 ฿30.6K

116.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 ₡508.8K

$552 ฿18.5K

105.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$976 ₡437.6K

$595 ฿19.9K

63.93%

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$659 41.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 53.8% $355

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$299 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 20.5% $61

Eating Out

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 63.8% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$164 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 42.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$109 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$89 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 42.3% $38

Getting Around

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 5.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $464 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 64% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, 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 $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

17:41 5:41 PM

13 h ahead of Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Chiang Mai 16,730 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon costs about 70% 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 $2,394 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and $1,408 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 $972 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, 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 $938, than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon at $1,596. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.