Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,078

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,078 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,078
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,628 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,628
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $2,178
Chiang Mai $1,999

San Pedro de Atacama costs about 15% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Pedro de Atacama and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – San Pedro de Atacama 20% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 CLP 7,000

$2.13 ฿71.6

235.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 CLP 43.9K

$18.62 ฿624

140.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 CLP 8,030

$5.60 ฿188

46.43%

Cappuccino

$2.80 CLP 2,742

$1.66 ฿55.8

68.67%

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

$1.58 CLP 1,546

$0.65 ฿21.69

143.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,149

$0.30 ฿10.22

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 CLP 3,387

$2.32 ฿77.9

49.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 CLP 3,812

$3.67 ฿123

5.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,155

$2.02 ฿67.6

-41.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 CLP 1,444

$1.41 ฿47.21

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,604

$1.39 ฿46.67

17.99%

Eggs

$3.70 CLP 3,627

$2.37 ฿79.4

56.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.1K

$16.52 ฿554

-37.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 CLP 6,543

$2.67 ฿89.5

150.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 CLP 11.4K

$9.02 ฿302

29.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 CLP 1,946

$2.40 ฿80.4

-17.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,534

$1.04 ฿34.91

50.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 CLP 1,732

$1.66 ฿55.6

6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 CLP 1,698

$1.56 ฿52.3

10.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,626

$1.24 ฿41.50

33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,512

$1.09 ฿36.44

41.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 CLP 1,327

$0.76 ฿25.54

78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,200

$0.51 ฿17.24

141.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,076

$4.12 ฿138

25.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 CLP 5,114

$17.93 ฿601

-70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CLP 1,583

$1.62 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 CLP 2,121

$2.82 ฿94.6

-23.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 612

$0.93 ฿31.33

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 681

$1.18 ฿39.45

-40.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,348

$1.47 ฿49.38

-6.12%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

$21.0K ฿704.5K

-14.88%

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

$19.3K CLP 18.9M

$26.5K ฿889.1K

-27.26%

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

$134 CLP 131.5K

$62.6 ฿2,098

114.66%

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

$13.70 CLP 13.4K

$11.60 ฿389

18.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 CLP 21.3K

$20.30 ฿681

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.10 CLP 37.3K

$37.88 ฿1,270

0.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.29 CLP 22.8K

$3.70 ฿124

529.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 CLP 5,212

$6.51 ฿218

-18.28%

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

$386 CLP 377.7K

$727 ฿24.4K

-46.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,304 CLP 8.1M

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-49.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.49 CLP 46.5K

$53.5 ฿1,795

-11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.06 CLP 24.5K

$24.80 ฿832

1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 CLP 59.4K

$90.4 ฿3,031

-32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CLP 79.8K

$72.0 ฿2,413

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 CLP 473.8K

$481 ฿16.1K

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 CLP 366.9K

$310 ฿10.4K

20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 CLP 870.9K

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 CLP 572.2K

$659 ฿22.1K

-11.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 CLP 2.3M

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-4.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.57

-10.05%

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

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro de Atacama

$375 34.8%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 17.3% $65

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro de Atacama

$234 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 1.3% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro de Atacama

$170 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 44.3% $75

Eating Out

San Pedro de Atacama

$152 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 49.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro de Atacama

$97 9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 12.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro de Atacama

$49 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 4.4% $2.1

Getting Around

San Pedro de Atacama

$3.2 * 0.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 1733% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in San Pedro de Atacama 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 $45 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in San Pedro de Atacama vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so San Pedro de Atacama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

06:59 6:59 AM

10 h ahead of San Pedro de Atacama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,347

127,240

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.21 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 979 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Pedro de Atacama Chiang Mai 18,610 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro de Atacama
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

San Pedro de Atacama vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro de Atacama costs about 15% 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 $1,617 per month in San Pedro de Atacama and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $484 in San Pedro de Atacama and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 13% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in San Pedro de Atacama and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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