Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Salento
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Salento Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $797 per month in Salento vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salento $797
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,212 per month in Salento vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salento $1,212
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,627 per month in Salento vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salento $1,627
Chiang Mai $1,999

Salento is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salento and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Salento 41% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 COP 12.5K

$2.13 ฿72.0

80.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 COP 75.9K

$18.62 ฿628

25.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 COP 24.2K

$5.60 ฿189

33.04%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 5,071

$1.66 ฿56.1

-6.02%

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

$0.93 COP 3,013

$0.65 ฿21.82

43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,855

$0.30 ฿10.29

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 COP 3,698

$2.32 ฿78.3

-50.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 COP 6,952

$3.67 ฿124

-41.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$2.02 ฿68.0

-45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,231

$1.41 ฿47.49

-7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 COP 3,708

$1.39 ฿46.94

-17.99%

Eggs

$2.14 COP 6,946

$2.37 ฿79.9

-9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 COP 14.8K

$16.52 ฿557

-72.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 COP 17.6K

$2.67 ฿90.1

103.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 COP 24.1K

$9.02 ฿304

-17.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 COP 7,992

$2.40 ฿80.9

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,533

$1.04 ฿35.12

4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,228

$1.66 ฿56.0

-21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,588

$1.56 ฿52.6

-28.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,731

$1.24 ฿41.75

-7.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,681

$1.09 ฿36.65

3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 COP 2,830

$0.76 ฿25.70

14.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 COP 2,095

$0.51 ฿17.34

27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 7,621

$4.12 ฿139

-42.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 COP 30.3K

$17.93 ฿605

-47.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,511

$1.62 ฿54.8

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,630

$2.82 ฿95.2

-38.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,234

$0.93 ฿31.52

-25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 COP 96.4K

$52.9 ฿1,784

-43.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 COP 4,802

$1.18 ฿39.69

25.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 COP 5,516

$0.17 ฿5.78

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 COP 19.7K

$1.81 ฿61.1

235.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 COP 3,098

$1.47 ฿49.67

-34.69%

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

$17.7K COP 57.5M

$21.0K ฿708.7K

-15.59%

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

$25.0K COP 81.2M

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-5.54%

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

$83.6 COP 271.0K

$62.6 ฿2,110

33.57%

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

$8.89 COP 28.8K

$11.60 ฿391

-23.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.56 COP 73.2K

$20.30 ฿685

11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.36 COP 75.8K

$37.88 ฿1,278

-38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 COP 13.1K

$6.51 ฿220

-37.94%

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

$242 COP 786.0K

$727 ฿24.5K

-66.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,913 COP 19.2M

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-64.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 COP 187.5K

$53.5 ฿1,806

7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 COP 105.7K

$24.80 ฿836

31.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 COP 274.2K

$90.4 ฿3,049

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 COP 239.1K

$72.0 ฿2,428

2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 COP 888.6K

$481 ฿16.2K

-43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 COP 758.3K

$310 ฿10.5K

-24.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 COP 1.7M

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-50.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 COP 1.4M

$659 ฿22.2K

-36.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,417 COP 4.6M

$2,418 ฿81.5K

-41.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 COP 3.5M

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-33.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

5.57

134.47%

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

Last update for Salento: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salento

$234 29.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 32.6% $76

Groceries & Markets

Salento

$175 21.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 35.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salento

$115 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 17.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Salento

$112 14%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.2% $3.6

Eating Out

Salento

$88 11%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 12.9% $11

Getting Around

Salento

$42 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 38.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Salento

$31 4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 61.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Salento versus $481 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 $23 in Salento versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Salento vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Salento wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Salento

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

12 h ahead of Salento

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,748

127,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Salento Chiang Mai 17,340 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Salento
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 17% more than Salento, 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 $1,196 per month in Salento 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 Salento, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $242 per month in Salento and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $797 in Salento and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Salento – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.