Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago, Panama and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,442 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Santiago

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,442

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,442 per month in Santiago vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santiago $1,442
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,119 per month in Santiago vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santiago $2,119
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,796 per month in Santiago vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santiago $2,796
Chiang Mai $1,979

Santiago costs about 54% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 6% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 PAB 4.44

$2.24 ฿75.7

98.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.53 PAB 29.53

$19.00 ฿642

55.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 PAB 5.02

$5.55 ฿188

-9.55%

Cappuccino

$4.04 PAB 4.04

$1.67 ฿56.6

141.92%

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

$0.73 PAB 0.73

$0.64 ฿21.56

14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 PAB 0.77

$0.31 ฿10.32

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 PAB 0.97

$2.36 ฿79.6

-58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 PAB 2.03

$3.66 ฿124

-44.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.95 ฿65.8

-5.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PAB 2.58

$1.44 ฿48.51

79.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 PAB 3.38

$1.33 ฿45.07

154.14%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$2.28 ฿77.1

17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 PAB 12.25

$16.45 ฿556

-25.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 PAB 6.88

$2.78 ฿94.0

147.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 PAB 10.59

$9.31 ฿314

13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 PAB 4.13

$2.35 ฿79.5

75.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 PAB 1.89

$0.97 ฿32.82

94.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 PAB 4.09

$1.60 ฿53.9

155.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 PAB 4.05

$1.50 ฿50.7

170.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 PAB 3.36

$1.28 ฿43.15

162.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.19 PAB 4.19

$1.10 ฿37.22

280.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 PAB 2.39

$0.71 ฿23.84

236.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$0.49 ฿16.38

263.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.17 PAB 6.17

$4.14 ฿140

49.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 PAB 11.46

$17.52 ฿592

-34.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 PAB 1.43

$1.61 ฿54.5

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 PAB 2.83

$2.78 ฿94.0

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 PAB 2.48

$1.16 ฿39.08

113.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.53 ฿17.82

250.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.36 PAB 22.36

$2.42 ฿81.8

823.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PAB 1.18

$1.45 ฿48.93

-18.62%

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

$24.3K PAB 24.3K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

15.36%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-20.10%

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

$120 PAB 120

$62.2 ฿2,100

92.78%

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

$14.90 PAB 14.90

$12.17 ฿411

22.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.49 PAB 43.49

$20.12 ฿680

116.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 PAB 8.26

$6.49 ฿219

27.27%

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

$533 PAB 533

$736 ฿24.9K

-27.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,758 PAB 9,758

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-33.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 PAB 67.9

$53.4 ฿1,802

27.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.51 PAB 47.51

$24.64 ฿832

92.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 PAB 93.7

$91.5 ฿3,089

2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 PAB 110

$71.9 ฿2,429

52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 PAB 451

$482 ฿16.3K

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 PAB 652

$309 ฿10.4K

111.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 PAB 648

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 PAB 1,105

$633 ฿21.4K

74.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.57

14.72%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$652 45.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 52.7% $344

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$325 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 27.9% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$178 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 47% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$144 10%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 24.3% $35

Eating Out

Santiago

$114 7.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 32% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$17 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 205% $34

Getting Around

Santiago

$12 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 421% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Santiago versus $482 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 $30 in Santiago versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Santiago

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

17:09 5:09 PM

12 h ahead of Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,065

127,240

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago Chiang Mai 17,030 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
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

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

Santiago costs about 54% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,162 per month in Santiago 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 $451 in Santiago and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Santiago and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Santiago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,442 in Santiago and $936 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,442 in Santiago. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.