Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rita and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Santa Rita vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Rita $1,784
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,706 per month in Santa Rita vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Rita $2,706
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,628 per month in Santa Rita vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Rita $3,628
Chiang Mai $1,903

Santa Rita costs about 93% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Rita sits 32% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 $20.09

$2.29 ฿76.5

777.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$19.64 ฿656

283.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.61 ฿188

9.80%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$1.66 ฿55.6

203.61%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$0.70 ฿23.40

254.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.31 ฿10.24

683.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$2.41 ฿80.4

227.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.71 ฿124

166.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.95 ฿65.3

97.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.41 ฿47.03

200.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.31 ฿43.62

100.76%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$2.18 ฿72.9

76.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 $19.70

$16.65 ฿556

18.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$2.76 ฿92.2

134.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$9.11 ฿304

8.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.39 ฿80.0

99.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.03 ฿34.26

161.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.50 ฿50.0

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.29 ฿43.13

216.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.11 ฿37.03

149.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.72 ฿24.08

177.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.58 ฿52.9

75.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.84 ฿95.0

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.63 $32.63

$2.35 ฿78.6

1288.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.44 ฿47.96

-3.47%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$251 $251

$62.3 ฿2,083

302.57%

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

$89.9 $89.9

$12.11 ฿405

642.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$19.94 ฿666

293.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$37.07 ฿1,239

172.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$455 ฿15.2K

97.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 $612

$298 ฿9,954

105.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 $1,982

$908 ฿30.4K

118.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$554 ฿18.5K

98.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$303 $303

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-79.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,588 $5,588

$591 ฿19.7K

845.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Eating Out

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Getting Around

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rita

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Santa Rita versus $455 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 846% higher in Santa Rita, 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 $75.0 in Santa Rita versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

15:46 3:46 PM

3 h behind Santa Rita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Rita Chiang Mai 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Santa Rita costs about 93% 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 $2,676 per month in Santa Rita and $1,388 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,784 in Santa Rita and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 93%.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Santa Rita, 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 $925, than in Santa Rita at $1,784. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Rita it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,784 in Santa Rita. 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, Santa Rita makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.