Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge Bay and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,251 in Cambridge Bay, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge Bay
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Cambridge Bay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cambridge Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,251

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Cambridge Bay versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Cambridge Bay $2,251
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,293 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Cambridge Bay $3,293
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,335 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Cambridge Bay $4,335
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Cambridge Bay is roughly 141% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge Bay is 65% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.62 CA$31.75

$2.24 ฿75.7

909.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 CA$91.2

$19.00 ฿642

242.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 CA$16.16

$5.55 ฿188

107.57%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.34

$1.67 ฿56.6

127.54%

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

$2.00 CA$2.81

$0.64 ฿21.56

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.26

$0.31 ฿10.32

419.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 CA$6.72

$2.36 ฿79.6

102.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 CA$6.96

$3.66 ฿124

35.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.96

$1.95 ฿65.8

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.44 ฿48.51

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.20

$1.33 ฿45.07

124.81%

Eggs

$3.42 CA$4.80

$2.28 ฿77.1

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 CA$14.00

$16.45 ฿556

-39.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.86 CA$18.04

$2.78 ฿94.0

362.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 CA$19.57

$9.31 ฿314

49.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.28

$2.35 ฿79.5

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$0.97 ฿32.82

36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$1.60 ฿53.9

96.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.39

$1.50 ฿50.7

156.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.82

$1.28 ฿43.15

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CA$3.11

$1.10 ฿37.22

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$0.71 ฿23.84

276.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$0.49 ฿16.38

255.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.67 CA$20.59

$4.14 ฿140

254.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.54 CA$20.40

$17.52 ฿592

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$1.61 ฿54.5

49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 CA$3.91

$2.78 ฿94.0

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.26

$0.87 ฿29.33

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 CA$89.8

$54.1 ฿1,827

18.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 CA$4.21

$1.16 ฿39.08

158.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$0.53 ฿17.82

175.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.90 CA$29.33

$2.42 ฿81.8

763.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$1.45 ฿48.93

-19.31%

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

$26.3K CA$37.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

25.05%

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

$18.6K CA$26.1K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-31.00%

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

$129 CA$181

$62.2 ฿2,100

107.69%

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

$38.55 CA$54.1

$12.17 ฿411

216.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$76.0

$20.12 ฿680

169.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.99 CA$60.3

$37.31 ฿1,260

15.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.17 CA$22.69

$3.77 ฿127

328.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 CA$13.30

$6.49 ฿219

46.07%

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

$558 CA$783

$736 ฿24.9K

-24.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CA$20.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 CA$73.0

$53.4 ฿1,802

-2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 CA$59.8

$24.64 ฿832

73.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CA$111

$91.5 ฿3,089

-13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 CA$130

$71.9 ฿2,429

28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 CA$1,618

$482 ฿16.3K

139.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 CA$1,539

$309 ฿10.4K

254.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 CA$2,620

$1,006 ฿34.0K

85.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,722 CA$2,416

$633 ฿21.4K

171.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,906 CA$6,885

$2,363 ฿79.8K

107.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,094 CA$4,342

$1,589 ฿53.7K

94.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.57

-15.98%

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

Last update for Cambridge Bay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge Bay

$1.1K 48.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 71.8% $788

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge Bay

$357 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 34.4% $123

Eating Out

Cambridge Bay

$310 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 74.9% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge Bay

$222 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 57.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge Bay

$120 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 9.5% $11

Getting Around

Cambridge Bay

$84 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 26.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge Bay

$62 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 18.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Cambridge Bay and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65 in Cambridge Bay vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cambridge Bay

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:11 2:11 PM

03:11 3:11 AM

13 h ahead of Cambridge Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cambridge Bay Chiang Mai 10,050 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge Bay
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

Cambridge Bay vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,251 in Cambridge Bay and $936 in Chiang Mai, so Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,376 in Cambridge Bay 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,153 in Cambridge Bay versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,251 per month in Cambridge Bay versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 15% less than in Cambridge Bay. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Cambridge Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.