Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ba and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $92.7 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Ba
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Ba Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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🇫🇯 Fiji

$92.7

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $92.7 in Ba versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Ba $92.7
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $207 in Ba versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Ba $207
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $321 in Ba versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Ba $321
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Ba costs roughly 90% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ba 93% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 FJD 4.59

$2.26 ฿75.4

-9.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 FJD 66.7

$19.18 ฿641

55.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 FJD 13.66

$5.59 ฿187

9.12%

Cappuccino

$1.96 FJD 4.39

$1.72 ฿57.6

13.95%

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

$0.98 FJD 2.20

$0.64 ฿21.54

53.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 FJD 2.19

$0.33 ฿11.18

196.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 FJD 8.84

$2.36 ฿78.7

67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 FJD 7.72

$3.90 ฿130

-11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

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)

$385 FJD 863

$595 ฿19.9K

-35.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Ba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

$93 100%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 14.8% $14

Groceries & Markets

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Getting Around

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Sport & Entertainment

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Clothing & Footwear

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Accommodation & Living

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Chiang Mai pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $30.00 in Ba vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for two.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Ba

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

5 h behind Ba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ba Chiang Mai 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ba
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

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

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 912% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $92.7 per month in Ba versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 912% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $92.7 in Ba versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $92.7 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ba 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 Ba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 912% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.