Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra, Barbados and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $278 in Alexandra versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandra $278
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $455 in Alexandra versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandra $455
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $633 in Alexandra versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandra $633
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Alexandra costs roughly 70% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandra 80% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.36 BBD 60.7

$2.24 ฿75.6

1255.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$3.47 BBD 6.95

$1.95 ฿65.8

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandra

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Good to know

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

11 h ahead of Alexandra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

127,240

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alexandra Chiang Mai 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Alexandra
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

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

Alexandra is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $416 in Alexandra and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 575% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $278 per month in Alexandra versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Alexandra is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alexandra and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.