Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $639 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$639

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $639 per month in Santa Cruz vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Cruz $639
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,172
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,704 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,704
Chiang Mai $1,914

Santa Cruz is about 32% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Cruz and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Santa Cruz 53% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 BOB 23.19

$2.26 ฿75.4

-11.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.80 BOB 195

$19.18 ฿641

-12.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 BOB 59.2

$5.59 ฿187

-8.77%

Cappuccino

$1.77 BOB 20.52

$1.72 ฿57.6

2.91%

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

$0.49 BOB 5.72

$0.64 ฿21.54

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 4.97

$0.33 ฿11.18

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 BOB 9.97

$2.36 ฿78.7

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 BOB 14.35

$3.90 ฿130

-68.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 BOB 8.23

$2.05 ฿68.6

-65.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 BOB 10.88

$1.40 ฿46.70

-32.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 BOB 11.93

$1.28 ฿42.89

-19.53%

Eggs

$1.06 BOB 12.27

$2.25 ฿75.3

-52.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.15 BOB 36.56

$16.94 ฿566

-81.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.58 BOB 29.92

$2.74 ฿91.6

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 BOB 57.8

$9.36 ฿313

-46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 BOB 21.12

$2.40 ฿80.3

-24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 BOB 7.24

$1.01 ฿33.92

-38.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 BOB 8.81

$1.61 ฿53.9

-52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 BOB 8.48

$1.52 ฿50.7

-51.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 BOB 8.55

$1.28 ฿42.90

-42.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 BOB 7.75

$1.11 ฿37.22

-39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 BOB 6.66

$0.72 ฿24.09

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 BOB 7.36

$0.52 ฿17.54

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.92 BOB 22.25

$4.33 ฿145

-55.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.32 BOB 50.2

$17.73 ฿593

-75.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BOB 11.86

$1.63 ฿54.4

-37.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BOB 19.01

$2.85 ฿95.3

-42.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 BOB 2.78

$0.85 ฿28.31

-71.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.48 BOB 261

$53.9 ฿1,801

-58.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BOB 19.05

$1.17 ฿39.18

40.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BOB 10.58

$0.57 ฿19.00

59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 BOB 73.3

$2.37 ฿79.2

166.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 BOB 6.59

$1.45 ฿48.32

-60.69%

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

$14.1K BOB 163.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-31.30%

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

$19.3K BOB 223.6K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-27.35%

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

$34.84 BOB 405

$62.3 ฿2,083

-44.10%

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

$19.67 BOB 228

$12.27 ฿410

60.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.53 BOB 204

$19.97 ฿668

-12.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.56 BOB 227

$37.91 ฿1,267

-48.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.84 BOB 149

$3.76 ฿126

241.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 BOB 68.1

$6.71 ฿224

-12.67%

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

$112 BOB 1,303

$797 ฿26.6K

-85.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,950 BOB 34.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-80.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.21 BOB 316

$53.3 ฿1,780

-48.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.79 BOB 416

$25.05 ฿837

42.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 BOB 769

$91.6 ฿3,062

-27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 BOB 677

$73.5 ฿2,455

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 BOB 3,105

$464 ฿15.5K

-42.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 BOB 2,869

$305 ฿10.2K

-18.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 BOB 10.6K

$915 ฿30.6K

-0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 BOB 9,630

$552 ฿18.5K

50.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,299 BOB 15.1K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-32.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$737 BOB 8,551

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-48.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 BOB 3,204

$595 ฿19.9K

-53.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

5.57

10.77%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$247 38.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 23.3% $58

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$112 17.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 112% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$84 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 29.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$72 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 31.3% $23

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$63 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 25.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$31 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 64.1% $20

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$30 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 107% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Santa Cruz 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 116% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $17.00 in Santa Cruz versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $238 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

14:54 2:54 PM

11 h ahead of Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.61 USD

100 BOB = 7.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 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 BOB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Chiang Mai 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

Santa Cruz vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Santa Cruz, 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 $959 per month in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $112 per month in Santa Cruz 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 112% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz costs $639 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Santa Cruz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.