Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayenne and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,330 in Cayenne, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Cayenne
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Cayenne Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cayenne

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$2,330

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,330 in Cayenne versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Cayenne $2,330
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,818 in Cayenne versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Cayenne $3,818
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,305 in Cayenne versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Cayenne $5,305
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Cayenne is roughly 148% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayenne is 73% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.03 €11.59

$2.26 ฿75.4

476.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €98.8

$19.18 ฿641

479.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 €9.55

$5.59 ฿187

91.95%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.41

$1.72 ฿57.6

123.26%

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

$3.47 €3.08

$0.64 ฿21.54

442.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.66

$0.33 ฿11.18

809.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.54

$2.36 ฿78.7

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.08

$3.90 ฿130

17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.82 €3.40

$2.05 ฿68.6

86.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.06 €4.50

$1.40 ฿46.70

261.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.28 ฿42.89

135.16%

Eggs

$7.37 €6.56

$2.25 ฿75.3

227.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 €26.87

$16.94 ฿566

78.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.64 €14.80

$2.74 ฿91.6

507.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.59 €26.32

$9.36 ฿313

216.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 €4.24

$2.40 ฿80.3

98.75%

Banana (1kg)

$4.36 €3.88

$1.01 ฿33.92

331.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.08 €4.52

$1.61 ฿53.9

215.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.85 €8.76

$1.52 ฿50.7

548.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.94 €4.39

$1.28 ฿42.90

285.94%

Onion (1kg)

$5.51 €4.90

$1.11 ฿37.22

396.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 €3.44

$0.72 ฿24.09

436.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.70

$0.52 ฿17.54

267.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 €8.47

$4.33 ฿145

119.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 €9.41

$17.73 ฿593

-40.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.55

$1.63 ฿54.4

75.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.85 ฿95.3

-60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.85 ฿28.31

156.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.69 €29.97

$53.9 ฿1,801

-37.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.87

$1.17 ฿39.18

367.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.09 €3.64

$0.57 ฿19.00

617.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 €7.13

$2.37 ฿79.2

238.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.45 ฿48.32

53.79%

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

$43.8K €39.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

114.01%

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

$44.5K €39.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

67.69%

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

$224 €199

$62.3 ฿2,083

258.93%

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

$43.90 €39.04

$12.27 ฿410

257.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 €60.0

$19.97 ฿668

237.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.72 €31.78

$37.91 ฿1,267

-5.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.32 €25.19

$3.76 ฿126

653.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 €8.62

$6.71 ฿224

44.41%

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

$659 €586

$797 ฿26.6K

-17.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €8,991

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-31.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 €87.8

$53.3 ฿1,780

85.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 €59.6

$25.05 ฿837

167.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 €113

$91.6 ฿3,062

38.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 €88.9

$73.5 ฿2,455

36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €830

$464 ฿15.5K

101.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 €750

$305 ฿10.2K

176.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,559

$915 ฿30.6K

91.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 €1,573

$552 ฿18.5K

220.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,098 €2,755

$1,912 ฿63.9K

62.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,070

$1,438 ฿48.1K

139.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,221 €1,975

$595 ฿19.9K

273.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.57

-19.21%

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

Last update for Cayenne: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cayenne

$843 36.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 63.9% $539

Groceries & Markets

Cayenne

$614 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 61.3% $376

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayenne

$335 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 71.8% $241

Eating Out

Cayenne

$237 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 66.7% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Cayenne

$177 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 38.1% $67

Getting Around

Cayenne

$68 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 10.3% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Cayenne

$55 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 6.8% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Cayenne and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayenne pays 273% 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: $111 in Cayenne vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $614 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇫 Cayenne

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

06:24 6:24 AM

10 h ahead of Cayenne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,493 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cayenne Chiang Mai 15,910 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Cayenne
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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 273% higher in Cayenne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $933 in Cayenne versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $111 in Cayenne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,330 per month in Cayenne versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,330 in Cayenne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cayenne. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cayenne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cayenne 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 148% less than in Cayenne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.