Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Avarua and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,638 in Avarua, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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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Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Avarua vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Avarua $1,638
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,652 per month in Avarua vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Avarua $1,652
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,666 per month in Avarua vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Avarua $1,666
Chiang Mai $1,979

Avarua costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Avarua sits 20% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 NZ$20.19

$2.24 ฿75.7

412.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 NZ$101

$19.00 ฿642

203.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.91

$5.55 ฿188

52.61%

Cappuccino

$3.16 NZ$5.57

$1.67 ฿56.6

89.22%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.95

$0.64 ฿21.56

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$4.05

$0.31 ฿10.32

641.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 NZ$9.88

$2.36 ฿79.6

137.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 NZ$7.39

$3.66 ฿124

14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.92

$1.95 ฿65.8

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NZ$5.86

$1.44 ฿48.51

131.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.33 ฿45.07

26.32%

Eggs

$4.76 NZ$8.38

$2.28 ฿77.1

108.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 NZ$20.38

$16.45 ฿556

-29.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 NZ$13.87

$2.78 ฿94.0

183.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 NZ$18.29

$9.31 ฿314

11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$4.95

$2.35 ฿79.5

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$0.97 ฿32.82

73.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 NZ$6.16

$1.60 ฿53.9

118.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.14 NZ$16.08

$1.50 ฿50.7

509.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NZ$4.96

$1.28 ฿43.15

120.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.88

$1.10 ฿37.22

100.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 NZ$3.93

$0.71 ฿23.84

214.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.12

$0.49 ฿16.38

493.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 NZ$25.06

$17.52 ฿592

-18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NZ$7.35

$2.78 ฿94.0

50.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$4.96

$0.87 ฿29.33

224.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NZ$3.85

$1.45 ฿48.93

51.03%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$112 NZ$197

$62.2 ฿2,100

79.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 NZ$1,703

$482 ฿16.3K

100.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 NZ$1,666

$309 ฿10.4K

206.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 NZ$202

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-88.58%

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)

$944 NZ$1,662

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-40.58%

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 Avarua: 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

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Avarua

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $968 in Avarua 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 $58 in Avarua versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Avarua

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

18:22 6:22 PM

17 h ahead of Avarua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 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 NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Avarua Chiang Mai 11,870 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Avarua
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

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

Avarua costs about 75% 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 $2,457 per month in Avarua and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $968 in Avarua.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,638 in Avarua and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 75%.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Avarua, 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 $1,638 in Avarua 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 $1,638 in Avarua. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.