Cost of Living Comparison Between Carthage and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Carthage and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Carthage versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in Carthage versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,567 in Carthage versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carthage costs roughly 23% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Carthage 47% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 TND 13.19

$2.08 ฿68.6

119.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.03 TND 63.7

$19.64 ฿646

12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 TND 17.23

$5.65 ฿186

5.49%

Cappuccino

$1.06 TND 3.06

$1.81 ฿59.4

-41.44%

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

$0.80 TND 2.32

$0.71 ฿23.45

12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.87

$0.32 ฿10.38

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 TND 4.88

$2.24 ฿73.6

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 TND 6.14

$3.63 ฿119

-41.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 TND 1.48

$1.96 ฿64.4

-73.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 TND 0.72

$1.50 ฿49.39

-83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 TND 5.23

$1.34 ฿43.93

35.07%

Eggs

$1.70 TND 4.92

$2.26 ฿74.5

-24.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 TND 30.15

$16.26 ฿535

-35.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 TND 16.97

$2.95 ฿97.1

98.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 TND 42.81

$9.94 ฿327

48.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 TND 4.10

$2.57 ฿84.6

-44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 TND 11.16

$1.06 ฿34.73

264.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 TND 3.31

$1.61 ฿53.0

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 TND 2.15

$1.52 ฿49.97

-51.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 TND 2.44

$1.27 ฿41.77

-33.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 TND 1.91

$1.07 ฿35.06

-38.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 TND 1.49

$0.72 ฿23.68

-29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$0.51 ฿16.72

-39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 TND 10.85

$4.19 ฿138

-10.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 TND 19.43

$17.87 ฿587

-62.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 TND 3.82

$1.69 ฿55.7

-21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TND 3.80

$2.84 ฿93.3

-53.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 TND 1.29

$0.93 ฿30.43

-51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.31 TND 41.39

$53.9 ฿1,771

-73.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.85

$1.23 ฿40.59

-75.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 TND 0.95

$0.58 ฿18.96

-43.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 TND 5.47

$2.42 ฿79.7

-21.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 TND 2.61

$1.41 ฿46.43

-36.17%

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

$41.1K TND 119.0K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

91.86%

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

$36.7K TND 106.0K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

34.10%

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

$47.11 TND 136

$63.7 ฿2,093

-26.01%

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

$8.59 TND 24.84

$12.85 ฿423

-33.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.79 TND 60.1

$20.22 ฿665

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.90 TND 95.2

$38.74 ฿1,274

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 TND 39.19

$3.97 ฿130

241.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 TND 14.71

$6.74 ฿222

-24.48%

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

$114 TND 330

$778 ฿25.6K

-85.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,928 TND 11.4K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-73.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 TND 148

$54.3 ฿1,785

-5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 TND 193

$25.45 ฿837

162.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 TND 324

$94.3 ฿3,102

18.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 TND 176

$73.4 ฿2,415

-17.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 TND 632

$490 ฿16.1K

-55.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 TND 474

$289 ฿9,512

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 TND 631

$894 ฿29.4K

-75.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 TND 837

$517 ฿17.0K

-43.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$989 TND 2,861

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-49.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$648 TND 1,875

$1,477 ฿48.6K

-56.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 TND 803

$602 ฿19.8K

-53.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.28

5.57

84.56%

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

Last update for Carthage: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $219 in Carthage and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 117% 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: $22.00 in Carthage vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $240, with Carthage cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Carthage and Chiang Mai differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($725 vs $947 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 117% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $219 in Carthage versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $725 in Carthage versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage 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, Carthage 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 Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.