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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Centurion versus $926 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,278 in Centurion versus $1,381 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Centurion versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Centurion is roughly 52% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Centurion is 4% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.70 R 356

$2.10 ฿70.6

933.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.89 R 672

$19.22 ฿645

112.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.78 R 94.9

$5.47 ฿184

5.67%

Cappuccino

$2.60 R 42.77

$1.69 ฿56.6

53.85%

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

$1.02 R 16.69

$0.65 ฿21.72

56.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.39

$0.31 ฿10.33

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R 35.15

$2.32 ฿77.8

-7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 R 39.11

$3.91 ฿131

-39.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.70

$2.07 ฿69.3

-42.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 R 19.97

$1.53 ฿51.4

-20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.13

$1.25 ฿41.95

76.00%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.1

$2.19 ฿73.6

42.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 R 169

$15.94 ฿535

-35.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 R 112

$2.76 ฿92.7

148.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R 118

$9.74 ฿327

-25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.12

$2.66 ฿89.2

-31.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.58

$1.05 ฿35.34

77.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 R 36.24

$1.66 ฿55.6

33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 R 35.03

$1.48 ฿49.52

43.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.29

$1.21 ฿40.76

32.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.66

$1.10 ฿36.98

64.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 R 22.64

$0.76 ฿25.51

81.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.23

$0.50 ฿16.67

182.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 R 59.6

$4.38 ฿147

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 99.5

$17.50 ฿587

-65.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 R 26.30

$1.66 ฿55.8

-3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R 33.48

$2.78 ฿93.2

-26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 R 40.64

$0.86 ฿28.90

187.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 R 1,621

$53.7 ฿1,804

83.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R 19.55

$1.22 ฿40.89

-2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 R 19.58

$0.56 ฿18.81

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 R 151

$2.34 ฿78.6

293.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 24.00

$1.45 ฿48.60

0.69%

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

$35.3K R 579.2K

$21.1K ฿706.8K

67.52%

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

$33.0K R 542.1K

$26.3K ฿882.8K

25.51%

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

$142 R 2,333

$63.6 ฿2,135

123.40%

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

$30.36 R 499

$12.56 ฿422

141.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 R 663

$20.04 ฿673

101.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 R 732

$38.73 ฿1,300

15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.80 ฿128

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 R 173

$6.47 ฿217

62.44%

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

$320 R 5,260

$777 ฿26.1K

-58.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,439 R 72.9K

$14.6K ฿489.4K

-69.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 958

$55.2 ฿1,854

5.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 R 727

$24.77 ฿832

78.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,982

$90.3 ฿3,031

33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 R 1,711

$73.5 ฿2,468

41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 R 5,690

$466 ฿15.7K

-25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 R 6,091

$286 ฿9,607

29.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 R 9,657

$866 ฿29.1K

-32.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 R 15.3K

$525 ฿17.6K

77.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$518 R 8,510

$1,978 ฿66.4K

-73.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$625 R 10.3K

$1,461 ฿49.1K

-57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,370 R 38.9K

$581 ฿19.5K

307.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

5.57

88.51%

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

Last update for Centurion: September 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Centurion and $466 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 308% 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: $41.00 in Centurion vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $238, with Centurion 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 308% higher in Centurion, 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: $346 in Centurion versus $466 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 84% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 in Centurion versus $777 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $926 in Chiang Mai versus $1,409 in Centurion, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Centurion. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $926 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion 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 52% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.