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: $1,371 in Centurion versus $912 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,224 in Centurion versus $1,390 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,077 in Centurion versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Centurion is roughly 50% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Centurion is 1% above, Chiang Mai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 R 357

$2.06 ฿68.1

974.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.63 R 672

$19.99 ฿661

108.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 R 95.6

$5.73 ฿190

3.32%

Cappuccino

$2.74 R 44.24

$1.71 ฿56.4

60.23%

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

$0.99 R 16.03

$0.73 ฿24.27

35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.47

$0.30 ฿10.06

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R 34.57

$2.44 ฿80.6

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 40.46

$3.85 ฿127

-34.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.07

$1.94 ฿64.3

-36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.86

$1.61 ฿53.1

-19.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.57

$1.33 ฿44.07

60.90%

Eggs

$3.15 R 50.8

$2.21 ฿73.2

42.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 R 166

$15.29 ฿506

-32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 113

$2.80 ฿92.6

149.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 R 120

$10.77 ฿356

-31.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.05

$2.47 ฿81.5

-24.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.03

$1.09 ฿36.09

70.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 R 36.14

$1.56 ฿51.5

43.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 R 34.67

$1.51 ฿49.83

42.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 24.98

$1.26 ฿41.82

23.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.77

$1.06 ฿35.13

73.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 R 22.42

$0.71 ฿23.53

95.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.09

$0.53 ฿17.44

169.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 54.4

$4.21 ฿139

-19.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 R 102

$16.47 ฿545

-61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.08

$1.72 ฿56.7

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R 35.00

$2.85 ฿94.1

-23.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 R 38.94

$0.93 ฿30.76

159.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.7 R 1,577

$53.6 ฿1,772

82.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 19.69

$1.19 ฿39.41

2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 R 19.69

$0.55 ฿18.07

121.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 R 145

$2.47 ฿81.7

264.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 23.86

$1.49 ฿49.21

-0.67%

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

$36.7K R 592.8K

$21.1K ฿697.7K

74.08%

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

$32.8K R 529.3K

$27.4K ฿904.9K

19.85%

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

$118 R 1,909

$64.5 ฿2,131

83.49%

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

$31.18 R 503

$13.08 ฿433

138.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.94 R 661

$19.72 ฿652

107.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 R 716

$38.94 ฿1,288

13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.05 R 16.97

$3.96 ฿131

-73.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 R 177

$6.81 ฿225

60.94%

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

$319 R 5,151

$795 ฿26.3K

-59.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,423 R 71.4K

$14.8K ฿488.7K

-70.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 878

$56.2 ฿1,858

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.37 R 732

$25.71 ฿850

76.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 R 1,706

$91.6 ฿3,028

15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,698

$73.0 ฿2,414

44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 R 5,732

$484 ฿16.0K

-26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 R 6,185

$281 ฿9,285

36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 R 9,365

$899 ฿29.7K

-35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 R 15.6K

$515 ฿17.0K

87.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,432

$2,009 ฿66.5K

-74.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 R 9,710

$1,458 ฿48.2K

-58.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,170 R 35.0K

$594 ฿19.6K

265.29%

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: August 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Centurion and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 265% 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: $42.00 in Centurion vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $237, 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 50% 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 265% 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: $355 in Centurion versus $484 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 82% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $319 in Centurion versus $795 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $912 in Chiang Mai versus $1,371 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 $912 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 50% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.