Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $648 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,084 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,520 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is about 24% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 51% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 Q 19.68

$2.04 ฿68.2

26.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.61 Q 119

$18.71 ฿624

-16.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 Q 47.10

$7.86 ฿262

-21.37%

Cappuccino

$3.40 Q 25.92

$2.03 ฿67.7

67.49%

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

$1.23 Q 9.39

$0.80 ฿26.64

53.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 Q 6.90

$0.35 ฿11.68

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 Q 25.57

$2.14 ฿71.5

56.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 Q 34.26

$3.67 ฿122

22.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Q 8.11

$1.73 ฿57.6

-38.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 Q 11.87

$1.57 ฿52.4

-0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.50 Q 3.78

$1.20 ฿39.99

-58.33%

Eggs

$1.60 Q 12.21

$1.97 ฿65.8

-18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 Q 60.4

$16.23 ฿541

-51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 Q 63.6

$3.06 ฿102

172.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 Q 65.6

$10.80 ฿360

-20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Q 25.69

$2.77 ฿92.3

21.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 Q 11.66

$1.17 ฿38.94

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.01

$1.71 ฿57.0

84.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 Q 8.67

$1.59 ฿53.2

-28.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 Q 10.78

$1.39 ฿46.51

1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 Q 8.60

$1.16 ฿38.56

-2.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 Q 4.05

$0.66 ฿22.05

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Q 5.79

$0.52 ฿17.31

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 Q 27.04

$4.65 ฿155

-23.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 Q 61.5

$17.78 ฿593

-54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 Q 12.21

$1.79 ฿59.6

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 Q 19.07

$3.34 ฿111

-25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 Q 40.25

$1.41 ฿47.04

274.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 Q 4.93

$1.34 ฿44.70

-51.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.62 Q 119

$8.11 ฿270

92.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 Q 8.54

$1.23 ฿41.16

-8.94%

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

$19.8K Q 150.7K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

-7.79%

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

$25.1K Q 191.1K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

14.87%

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

$81.3 Q 620

$71.3 ฿2,379

14.01%

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

$26.01 Q 198

$14.01 ฿467

85.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.67 Q 196

$17.93 ฿598

43.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 Q 53.6

$5.72 ฿191

22.90%

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

$105 Q 804

$308 ฿10.3K

-65.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,756 Q 43.9K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-60.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 Q 383

$55.8 ฿1,860

-9.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 Q 410

$26.04 ฿869

106.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 Q 892

$84.8 ฿2,829

37.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 914

$71.0 ฿2,368

68.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 Q 1,413

$507 ฿16.9K

-63.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

78.00%

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

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $244 – making Santa Lucía Milpas Altas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lucía Milpas Altas vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $972 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $648 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Lucía Milpas Altas costs $648 versus $852 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 Lucía Milpas Altas. 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.