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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,238 in Cayenne versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,640 in Cayenne versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,041 in Cayenne versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cayenne is roughly 160% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayenne is 68% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 €9.10

$1.96 ฿65.9

430.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €99.6

$18.35 ฿617

520.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 €8.91

$7.48 ฿252

36.10%

Cappuccino

$3.33 €2.91

$2.02 ฿67.8

64.85%

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

$3.08 €2.69

$0.85 ฿28.52

262.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.10

$0.36 ฿11.97

566.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$2.14 ฿71.9

58.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.07

$3.59 ฿121

29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.65 ฿55.5

82.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 €3.67

$1.57 ฿52.7

166.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.68

$1.19 ฿40.05

157.14%

Eggs

$8.70 €7.61

$1.94 ฿65.1

348.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.59 €25.01

$16.19 ฿545

76.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.93 €14.81

$2.99 ฿101

466.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.46 €26.65

$10.94 ฿368

178.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 €5.19

$2.71 ฿91.2

119.19%

Banana (1kg)

$4.87 €4.26

$1.17 ฿39.27

316.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.08 €4.44

$1.69 ฿56.8

200.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.08 €8.82

$1.60 ฿54.0

530.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.18

$1.38 ฿46.56

246.38%

Onion (1kg)

$5.90 €5.16

$1.20 ฿40.47

391.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.96 €3.46

$0.67 ฿22.51

491.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.56 ฿18.74

201.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.23 €8.07

$4.64 ฿156

98.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €6.90

$17.62 ฿593

-55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.86 ฿62.6

51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.98

$3.30 ฿111

-31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.06

$0.88 ฿29.70

168.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.16 €29.89

$19.34 ฿651

76.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €5.00

$1.36 ฿45.92

319.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 €3.20

$1.34 ฿45.00

173.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 €7.22

$8.21 ฿276

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.22 ฿41.20

81.97%

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

$34.6K €30.3K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

62.09%

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

$45.4K €39.7K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

101.38%

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

$192 €168

$70.7 ฿2,378

172.36%

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

$47.12 €41.23

$14.04 ฿472

235.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 €62.3

$17.49 ฿589

307.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.78 €34.80

$42.15 ฿1,418

-5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.00 €25.38

$6.88 ฿231

321.51%

Cinema Ticket

$12.22 €10.69

$5.92 ฿199

106.42%

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

$685 €599

$309 ฿10.4K

122.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$350 €307

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-97.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 €69.5

$55.8 ฿1,876

42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.94 €40.19

$26.11 ฿879

75.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €98.0

$83.0 ฿2,793

34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €92.1

$70.5 ฿2,371

49.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 €835

$432 ฿14.5K

120.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €722

$239 ฿8,040

245.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 €1,409

$822 ฿27.7K

95.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,431

$512 ฿17.2K

219.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,131 €2,739

$1,915 ฿64.4K

63.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,587 €3,138

$1,467 ฿49.4K

144.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,319 €2,029

$579 ฿19.5K

300.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

-29.40%

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

Last update for Cayenne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Cayenne and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayenne pays 300% 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: $114 in Cayenne vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $607 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 300% 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: $955 in Cayenne versus $432 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 $18.00 versus $114 in Cayenne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,238 per month in Cayenne versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,238 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 160% less than in Cayenne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.