Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $998 in Alexandria, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. The total is higher in Alexandria despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$998

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $998 in Alexandria versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandria $998
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,658 in Alexandria versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandria $1,658
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,317 in Alexandria versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandria $2,317
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Alexandria is roughly 6% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 26% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 JMD 2,120

$2.26 ฿75.4

493.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$19.18 ฿641

300.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 JMD 1,298

$5.59 ฿187

46.87%

Cappuccino

$5.37 JMD 849

$1.72 ฿57.6

212.21%

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

$1.16 JMD 183

$0.64 ฿21.54

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.33 ฿11.18

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 JMD 351

$2.36 ฿78.7

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

$3.90 ฿130

-20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.20 JMD 664

$2.05 ฿68.6

104.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 JMD 586

$1.40 ฿46.70

165.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 248

$1.28 ฿42.89

22.66%

Eggs

$3.63 JMD 573

$2.25 ฿75.3

61.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 JMD 1,787

$16.94 ฿566

-33.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 JMD 976

$2.74 ฿91.6

125.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 JMD 1,611

$9.36 ฿313

8.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 JMD 938

$2.40 ฿80.3

147.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 JMD 610

$1.01 ฿33.92

282.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.13 JMD 1,127

$1.61 ฿53.9

342.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 480

$1.52 ฿50.7

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 JMD 501

$1.28 ฿42.90

147.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$1.11 ฿37.22

139.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 JMD 484

$0.72 ฿24.09

326.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$0.52 ฿17.54

176.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 JMD 1,519

$4.33 ฿145

121.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 JMD 1,755

$17.73 ฿593

-37.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$1.63 ฿54.4

69.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 JMD 642

$2.85 ฿95.3

42.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 JMD 183

$1.17 ฿39.18

-0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$0.57 ฿19.00

456.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 967

$2.37 ฿79.2

158.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.45 ฿48.32

-4.14%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

111.77%

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

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

22.00%

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

$165 JMD 26.1K

$62.3 ฿2,083

164.56%

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

$29.45 JMD 4,653

$12.27 ฿410

140.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 JMD 8,382

$19.97 ฿668

165.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$13.30 JMD 2,101

$6.71 ฿224

98.21%

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

$364 JMD 57.5K

$797 ฿26.6K

-54.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 JMD 1.3M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-44.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.82 JMD 3,764

$53.3 ฿1,780

-55.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 JMD 5,039

$25.05 ฿837

27.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 JMD 12.0K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$73.5 ฿2,455

38.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for Alexandria: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$380 38.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 37.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$247 24.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 61.8% $153

Eating Out

Alexandria

$221 22.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 64.3% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$105 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 4.1% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$27 * 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 93.1% $25

Getting Around

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 260% $44

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $77.0 in Alexandria vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

19:35 7:35 PM

12 h ahead of Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,927

127,240

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alexandria Chiang Mai 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria
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

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

Alexandria and Chiang Mai differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($998 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,497 in Alexandria and $1,408 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.

Childcare runs $364 in Alexandria versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $77.0 in Alexandria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $998 in Alexandria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alexandria. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Alexandria and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Alexandria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.