Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $746 per month in Santa Rosa vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,142 per month in Santa Rosa vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,539 per month in Santa Rosa vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Rosa is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Santa Rosa and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Santa Rosa 44% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.78 ₱171

$1.96 ฿64.0

41.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.58 ₱1,331

$18.81 ฿615

14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.16 ₱195

$7.92 ฿259

-60.10%

Cappuccino

$1.27 ₱78.2

$1.91 ฿62.6

-33.51%

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

$0.37 ₱23.10

$0.84 ฿27.41

-55.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₱15.94

$0.35 ฿11.51

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ₱77.2

$2.21 ฿72.1

-43.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₱86.8

$3.80 ฿124

-62.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₱132

$1.64 ฿53.5

30.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ₱76.8

$1.62 ฿53.1

-22.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ₱68.2

$1.18 ฿38.62

-5.93%

Eggs

$1.73 ₱106

$2.01 ฿65.8

-13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.87 ₱424

$15.89 ฿520

-56.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 ₱258

$3.01 ฿98.5

38.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 ₱456

$10.77 ฿352

-31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 ₱267

$2.61 ฿85.5

65.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ₱54.2

$1.22 ฿39.88

-27.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₱178

$1.70 ฿55.7

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱100

$1.58 ฿51.5

3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 ₱169

$1.32 ฿43.14

107.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.00 ₱246

$1.17 ฿38.23

241.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 ₱100

$0.67 ฿21.98

143.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱65.0

$0.56 ฿18.32

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₱202

$4.53 ฿148

-27.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 ₱560

$18.20 ฿595

-50.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₱94.6

$1.83 ฿60.0

-16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱125

$3.23 ฿106

-37.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.40

$0.89 ฿29.00

-68.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱47.59

$1.35 ฿44.20

-42.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.52

$1.35 ฿44.05

-83.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 ₱129

$8.25 ฿270

-74.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱67.6

$1.27 ฿41.64

-13.39%

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

$25.9K ₱1.6M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

22.54%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

-8.00%

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

$52.2 ₱3,219

$70.2 ฿2,294

-25.60%

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

$32.54 ₱2,007

$13.77 ฿450

136.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.70 ₱1,770

$17.60 ฿575

63.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.03 ₱2,099

$41.57 ฿1,360

-18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.54 ₱280

$6.60 ฿216

-31.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 ₱430

$5.78 ฿189

20.76%

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

$81.9 ₱5,049

$306 ฿10.0K

-73.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,737 ₱168.8K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-81.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.23 ₱1,988

$54.4 ฿1,778

-40.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.54 ₱1,822

$26.14 ฿855

13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 ₱5,938

$84.5 ฿2,764

13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₱5,899

$69.4 ฿2,270

37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.3K

$424 ฿13.9K

-41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱10.9K

$238 ฿7,788

-25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₱24.5K

$825 ฿27.0K

-51.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ₱17.3K

$515 ฿16.8K

-45.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 ₱159.0K

$2,049 ฿67.0K

25.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,408

$635 ฿20.8K

-75.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

62.60%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Santa Rosa versus $424 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 316% 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 $22.00 in Santa Rosa versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $221 in Santa Rosa vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Santa Rosa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Santa Rosa, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,119 per month in Santa Rosa and $1,278 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 Rosa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Santa Rosa 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 10% 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 $746 in Santa Rosa and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Rosa costs $746 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 Rosa. 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.